Eb the Hero
by Lost in Day Dreams
Summary: Lisa's depressed and Oliver's too busy with the farm to realize it. I guess it's up to Eb to save the day! But will he be able to do it before it's too late?
1. Life is Full of Stress

Hello dere! Before I start, I would like to dedicate my third story to MissEndora, Maranatha, and Gisele from the TVLand Message Board! I hope you all enjoy it!

**The Douglas Farm**

It was turning out to be another hectic day for Oliver Wendell Douglas. It seemed like nothing wanted to go right on his farm that day. His corn was infested with insects, his decrepit looking tractor broke down again, Mr. Kimball, the county agent, lost his soil samples again, and to top it all off, all of his crops looked like they were on the brink of death. Oliver felt like the least luckiest man in the world. Now, as he stood in the middle of his cornfield, he sighed in frustration and ran his fingers through his silver hair.

It wouldn't be as bad if this was just a one time thing, he thought, but these sorts of occurrences had increased steadily in the past few months. It was almost enough to make him wash his hands of the whole thing, but something inside him wouldn't allow it. He knew he loved farming too much to give it up just yet.

_But still, _Oliver thought, _with all the stress this farm is giving me, it's likely to be the death of me._

Oliver sighed once again, picked up his hoe, and began weeding his corn.

Meanwhile, back at the farmhouse, Oliver's wife, Lisa was busying herself preparing her husband's lunch. She was about to put on the finishing touches when Eb, their hired hand, breezed into the kitchen.

"Hi, mom," Eb greeted her as he took his regular spot at the kitchen table.

"Hello, Eb," Lisa replied as a warm feeling grew inside her at the sound of him calling her mom. Although it annoyed her husband greatly when Eb referred to them as mom and dad, Lisa rather enjoyed it. Since she never had any children of her own, the fact that someone looked up to her enough to call her mom pleased her greatly. _Plus, _Lisa thought, _Eb is a very sweet boy. I really do love him like a son._ She smiled at him warmly once more and walked over to him to pour him a cup of coffee.

"Vhere's my husband," Lisa asked, her thick Hungarian accent mangling her English.

"He's still out in the field, hoeing and muttering," Eb responded as he watched the coffee pour out of the cup. Once the cup was full, Lisa set down the pot on the table and pulled up a chair next to him. She gazed out the window in the direction of the fields with a concerned look on her face.

"Oh dear, is he still in a grumpy mood," she asked. Eb, who was busy adding cream and sugar to his coffee, answered without looking up.

"Yes, ma'am. He mumbles all the time about how nothing goes right and how he can never catch a break. He's been real stressed out lately, and all that stress is making him real moody too."

"Vot do you mean?"

"Well, he just snaps at me for every little thing that I do wrong. It's getting to where I can't do an ounce of work without getting yelled at," Eb concluded sadly. Lisa looked on at him with sympathy and patted him on the arm soothingly.

"Oh Eb, I'm sure he doesn't mean anything by it. My poor dahling, he's been under so much stress and he hardly gets any sleep at night. I vish there was a vay I could help him," she said as she looked down at the table wistfully. Finally she sighed and got up to go back to the stove.

"Vell," she said as she stirred the contents in the giant pot she was making lunch in, "maybe this vill cheer him up."

"What is it," Eb asked.

"I made him his favorite food to help him forget about all his stress on the farm," she explained. She took some tongs and pulled out a pasty looking lump of an unknown substance and put it on a plate. "Spaghetti."

Eb looked warily at the meal and sighed. "Well, you could always buy him a gift," he suggested. Lisa shot him an annoyed look and Eb immediately turned his attention back to his coffee, sheepishly glancing at her from the corner of his eye. Lisa was about to open her mouth to retort, but just then the back door flew open and Oliver stalked in. He stormed past them without a word and headed to the bathroom to wash up.

Lisa sighed and wiped her hands on a cloth. _Vell, _she thought, _here goes nothing._ She put a friendly smile on her face and turned from the stove to greet her husband when he walked back in, hoping beyond hope that his foul mood will have been lifted when he returned.

Greetings, readers! Well, I know this story is off to a bit of a slow, short start, but I promise it'll get better. I hope you all continue to read and review my story! Bye!


	2. The Special Meal

**The Douglas Farm**

A minute later, Oliver returned from the bathroom and stomped grumpily into the kitchen. Lisa realized by the scowl on his face that his foul mood was still going strong. Her shoulders slumped in disappointment a little, but she decided to be as cheery as possible in hopes that it would rub off on him.

"Hello dahling," Lisa said pleasantly as she walked over to Oliver. She leaned in toward him expecting a kiss, but instead stumbled forward as he bypassed her and sunk into his usual spot at the table. Lisa felt somewhat hurt by the fact that he just completely ignored her, but she pushed that feeling aside. _He's just going through a rough time, _she reasoned. She put on another bright smile and proceeded to serve him some coffee.

"Hi dad," Eb called cheerfully, obviously trying to help Lisa lighten Oliver's mood, but it was to no avail. Oliver only glared at him and replied bitterly, "Don't call me dad."

Eb shrugged at Lisa and mouthed the words, "I tried," to her. Lisa smiled at him tenderly and mouthed, "Thank you," to him. She then decided to take a stab at relieving Oliver's vile mind-set, a mind-set that seemed to engulf the entire kitchen.

"How was your morning, dear," she asked in an attempt to ease the tension in the room. But in her desperation to make a light-hearted conversation, she forgot that that was probably the wrong question to ask. Her instinct was confirmed when she heard her husband sigh deeply.

"My morning was awful," he said angrily. "Nothing would go right today! I've never been so frustrated in my life!"

Lisa patted his shoulder sympathetically. "I'm sorry, dahling."

"Yeah, me too," Oliver mumbled angrily. He took a sip of his coffee and then leaned his head on his hand. Lisa's sadness doubled when she realized her first try to ease her husband's stress had failed. She decided to resort to plan number two.

"Vell, maybe your favorite lunch vill make things better," she said cheerfully as she turned to the stove to serve him his plate. She poured a crusty looking spaghetti sauce on her pasty lump of spaghetti. She then turned around and placed the plate in front of Oliver, a hopeful smile spread across her face.

This smile quickly faded away however, when she saw Oliver grimace and poke warily at the meal before him.

"What's this supposed to be," he asked.

"Your favorite meal, spaghetti," Lisa replied.

"What did you do to it," Oliver asked bitingly. Lisa pouted at the hurtful words.

"Dahling, I made this especially to ease your stress," she explained.

"Well, you failed. It's only adding to my stress," he replied scornfully.

"Olivah," Lisa exclaimed, shocked that he was being so rude to her. She was about to elaborate on how much work she went through to make him that special meal, but he didn't give her a chance. He stood up from his chair and began to head toward the back door.

"Lisa, next time you want to cheer me up…try picking up something from the restaurant. You know, something that's actually edible," he snapped. He then walked out the back door, slamming it behind him. Lisa stood staring at the door for a minute, flabbergasted at his treatment toward her. She then sighed wearily and began to clear away her special meal from the table, depressed that her efforts to make her husband feel better had failed. Eb looked at her with pity in his eyes.

"You okay, Mrs. Douglas," he asked as he stood up from the table and carried his dishes over to the sink for washing.

"Yes, I'm fine Eb. Thank you for asking," she said as she watched him go from the table to the sink and back again absent-mindedly. "I just can't believe vot a bad mood all his stress has put him under. In all the years we've been married, he's never talked to me like that. I'm beginning to vorry about him," she confessed. She looked at the dirty plate that once held her husband's special meal with contempt and stuck it in the sink, vowing to wash it and the other dishes later when she was in a better mood.

"What now," Eb asked.

"I guess I'll have to come up vith some other vay to cheer him up," she replied. Lisa then sighed once more and continued serving Eb his lunch, vowing to come up with more ideas before Oliver returned home for dinner.

Okay, okay, so it's not the best chapter in the world, but I was having a really hard time coming up with ideas to express Lisa's hurt over Oliver's bad mood without over-dramatizing it. I finally just threw ideas together and the product was this dull chapter. Sorry! I promise I'll come up with something better for the next chapter…I hope! Please continue to read and review! Bye!


	3. Overreaction

Dixie Darlin': I just wanted to thank you for all the wonderful reviews you have been leaving me, on this story and my other one. I appreciate them very much. I also wanted to wish you a very Merry Belated Christmas anda very Happy New Year! Hope you continue to read my stories and I hope they are to your liking! Good bye!

* * *

**The Douglas Farm**

Eb took as much time as he possibly could in eating lunch with Lisa and walking back to the corn field. He even opted to take the long way around the other fields, just to waste time. He really wasn't looking forward to enduring another day of working hard and getting yelled at by Oliver, especially after the scene he just witnessed in the kitchen. If Oliver was that impatient with his own wife, there was no telling how much Eb was going to get yelled at that day.

Eb felt a pang of sadness when he thought back to the scene in the kitchen. He felt so sorry for Lisa, working so hard to cheer up her husband, only to have it blow up in her face in the end.

_Mr. Douglas had no right to be that cruel to mom, _he concluded. _She was only trying to be helpful._

Eb sighed. _Well, there's nothing I can do about it, _he realized. _If he wouldn't lighten up for his own wife, he certainly won't do it for me._

A few minutes later, he reluctantly walked through the corn field and joined Oliver at his sighed. Oliver looked up from his weeding as Eb approached and stopped his work to glare at him.

"Where have you been," Oliver demanded to know.

"I've been back at the house eating lunch with Mrs. Douglas," Eb answered.

"It couldn't have taken that long to choke down my wife's cooking," he replied.

"I happen to like Mrs. Douglas's cooking," Eb lied. He then picked up a hoe and began weeding the field, trying best to avoid his gaze. Oliver stared at him for a minute longer, judging whether or not he was telling the truth. He finally gave up and joined Eb in the weeding.

They worked in strained silence, except for Oliver's frustrated muttering, for the rest of the day. Finally, Oliver's watch indicated that it was six o'clock and time to call it a day. Eb threw down the hoe in relief and began walking back to the house with Oliver a few feet behind him.

They were just about to enter the house when they saw Mr. Haney's familiar old truck pull up next to them. Oliver sighed in frustration, not really in the mood to deal with anyone today, least of all Mr. Haney. Still, he had to be considerate and turn down any of Mr. Haney's offers before kicking him off his property. So Oliver sighed once more and joined Mr. Haney's side after he hopped off his truck.

"Good evening, Mr. Douglas. Good evening, Eb," he greeted in his usual cheery tone. Eb opened his mouth to reply but Oliver spoke first.

"Mr. Haney, before you say anything, I am not interested in anything you have on that truck of yours. Now if you will excuse me, my wife will be expecting me for dinner," he said. He then began to walk away, but Mr. Haney grabbed his arm and pulled him back. Eb could see that this was only going to end in anger, so he decided to go into the house. Neither of the other gentlemen seemed to notice. Instead, Mr. Haney continued to work on Oliver.

"Now Mr. Douglas, let's not be so hasty," he said. "I guarantee you that what I have on my truck will interest you completely. Now, if you would just accompany me to the back off my truck, I will just show you what I'm talking about. Come with me, please," Mr. Haney said as he led Oliver to the back of the truck by his arm.

"Will you let go of me," Oliver demanded as they came to a stop at the back of the truck. He yanked his arm free with contempt and dusted himself off. Meanwhile, Mr. Haney lifted the tarp that covered the truck bed to reveal a wimpy thing of a tree that looked dry and near death.

"What the…" Oliver began to say as he spotted the tree, but Mr. Haney interrupted him.

"Mr. Douglas, it has been very obvious to everybody that you have been under a lot of strain lately. That is why I brought you this o-na-tur-al stress reliever, guaranteed to relieve in the most bothersome of stress. You just simply plant this tree in a vase, set it in your house, and sit back and let the stress flow out of you," he concluded.

"I don't get what that has to do with relieving stress," Oliver commented, mentally kicking himself for encouraging Mr. Haney to go on with his sales pitch rather than just deny him right there.

"Well, it has been proven by a very trust-worthy psychologist, my cousin Herbert, that nature relieves stress. So instead of spending the rest of your life outside, I say bring the outside to you," he concluded with a self-satisfied grin. Oliver shook his head.

"Mr. Haney, even if all that was true, I wouldn't pay you a dime for that pathetic looking thing you call a tree," he said.

"Well, it's a good thing you won't have to, because I am giving this to you as a gift," Mr. Haney said as he pulled the tree from his truck bed and handed it to Oliver. Oliver took it warily and stared at him in disbelief.

"Your actually giving this to me," he asked.

"Just consider it my way of saying I hope things go better for you," Mr. Haney replied.

"What's the catch," Oliver replied.

"No catch, Mr. Douglas. It is a get well gift to you. I hope you use it well." Mr. Haney turned and seemingly headed toward the front of his truck to leave, but then he snapped his fingers like he suddenly remembered something.

"Oh by the way, Mr. Douglas, I forgot to mention that that tree requires a special tree sized vase. You wouldn't happen to have one, would you," he asked innocently.

"Why no, I don't," Oliver replied.

"Well, I just happen to have one here on my truck. I can let you have it for the poultry sum of eighty-four dollars," he said as he pulled out a large vase from a hidden spot on the truck bed and set it on the ground in front of him.

Oliver's face flushed red with anger when he finally caught on to Mr. Haney's angle. He then walked over to him and shoved the tree forcibly back into his arms.

"Forget it, Mr. Haney. You can just keep your stress relieving tree," he said. He then turned on his heel and stormed back toward the house. But instead of giving up, Mr. Haney picked up the large vase and followed Oliver.

"Mr. Douglas, please reconsider," he said as he tailed Oliver.

"Good day, Mr. Haney," Oliver said through clenched teeth, trying his best to suppress the anger rising within him.

"But Mr. Douglas, it seems that you really need this tree…" Mr. Haney continued.

"I said good day, Mr. Haney," Oliver yelled, began to lose his temper.

"Mr. Douglas, please," Mr. Haney said as he continued to follow Oliver, "what if I give you a discount on the vase? Say seventy dollars instead of eighty-four? After all, I am really concerned for you health," he said.

That was the last straw for Oliver. He suddenly whirled around to face Mr. Haney, causing Mr. Haney to ram Oliver's chest with the large vase. Oliver grunted but pushed aside the pain, although it did fuel his anger quite a bit.

"You're concerned about my health," Oliver asked in disbelief. "That's a flat out lie! The only thing you're ever concerned about, Mr. Haney, is how much profit you can make in a day! You couldn't care less about me or anyone else in the community! All you will ever care about is you and your precious money!"

At this moment, Lisa came out the front door to see what all the commotion was. "Olivah, vot is going on? I heard yelling," she said, but neither of the men seemed to hear her. Instead, they continued to stare at each other, but this time Oliver's anger was reflected in Mr. Haney's eyes.

"Now Mr. Douglas, I think you're going a bit too far with that. I happen to care very much about my friends here in Hooterville," he replied in an offended tone.

Oliver scoffed. "What friends? All you ever see when you look at us is dollar signs!"

"Olivah," Lisa exclaimed in a reprimanding manner.

"Lisa, stay out of this," Oliver said without looking at her. "Now, Mr. Haney, I recommend that you get off my property before I call the sheriff on you!"

"I'm not going anywhere until you apologize for the nasty, untrue things you said to me," Mr. Haney retorted.

"Mr. Haney, leave now or I'll…." Oliver said in a tense, menacing voice.

"Or you'll what," Mr. Haney challenged bitterly, obviously fed up with Oliver's attitude.

This challenge seemed to push Oliver too far. Instead of replying, he pushed the vase out of Mr. Haney's hands, causing it to fall to the floor and crash into a million pieces. Then without a word, he turned around and marched into the house.

Lisa looked after him in shock for a second and then turned her attention to Mr. Haney, who was looking in surprise at the splintered vase at his feet. She rushed to his side.

"Oh Mr. Haney, I am so sorry about this," she said apologetically. "I'll pay for it, I promise."

"No, no, it's alright, Mrs. Douglas. It wasn't your fault. Besides, it wasn't worth much anyway," he said with a sad smile. "I best be getting along."

"I really am sorry, Mr. Haney, he's just been under so much strain lately," she explained weakly as he hopped back into his truck.

"It's alright Mrs. Douglas, I understand," he said. He then started up his truck and drove off.

Lisa stared absent-mindedly at Mr. Haney's truck as it shrunk into the distance, still not quite believing that her husband had actually done something like that. She had never seen him lose his temper so quickly or so strongly. In the past, no matter how much someone had bothered him, he at least had enough patience to not resort to violence, but now, all that patience seemed gone. This fact doubled Lisa's concern for him. She was beginning to feel that the old Oliver would never return.

Lisa spun on her heel and turned back into the house, determined to give Oliver a piece of her mind about what had just taken place. But her determination was cut short when she realized that he had avoided the kitchen entirely and gone straight to bed, despite the fact that the sun hadn't entirely set yet. She sighed and returned to the kitchen to continue the rest of the evening alone.

Later, sitting alone in the living room doing nothing got to her, so she concluded that the only thing left to do was to go to bed. She slipped into the bedroom quietly, undressed, and slid into bed next to Oliver. She closed her eyes and attempted to go to sleep, but her eyes would just keep wrenching open in insomnia. Lisa sighed in defeat and settled for watching her husband sleep instead.

But the more she stared, the bigger the unhappiness she felt inside her grew. She still couldn't believe he had reacted so violently to something as simple as Mr. Haney trying to sell him something he didn't need. It wasn't like Mr. Haney had never done anything like that before; as a matter of fact, he had been known to do worse. She would think that Oliver would be used to it by now. But then again, the more time they spent on the farm, the more it seemed to eat away at his patience….and their marriage.

Lisa felt a pang of sorrow in her heart when she thought of the rift his stress had caused between them. They hadn't had a real conversation or been intimate with each other for weeks. She couldn't even remember the last time he had told her he loved her. Lisa had never felt more distant from her husband than she did at that moment.

She felt a small tear trickle down her cheek, but she quickly wiped it away. She knew that it was best not to cry, for crying was like admitting defeat. Instead, Lisa resolved firmly to come up with more ideas to relieve her husband's stress and break the estrangement that had fallen between them.

_But how, _she asked herself. At that thought, Lisa turned onto her other side to where her back was facing Oliver and fell into a deep, troubled sleep.

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Hello readers! Well, here is my latest installement in this story. I hope you all like it. I'm sorry about the delays, but I have been trying tonot over dramatizethis story like I tend to do, but I'm finding it very hard. Therefore, it has been difficult to come up with new chapters. But I promise I'll try my best to not to take so long on the updates. Well,I hope you all continue to read my story and review. Oh! And I'm going to be going to Dallas fora couple of days, so don't expect any updates until at least next Tuesday! Again, sorry for the delay! Bye! 


	4. Admitting Defeat

**The Douglas Farm**

Lisa awoke the next morning awoke to discover that her husband had already left to begin another days work. She sighed deeply, half out of remorse and half out of relief. One the one hand, she was glad that she had avoided being yelled at and insulted that morning, but on the other hand, she was brooding over the fact that he didn't even bother to wait to wish her good morning, good bye, or anything.

_I remember vhen ve vere first married, _she reflected, _he vould lie in bed and vait for me to vake up._ She chuckled at the memory of Oliver being an hour late to work one time, just because he said that he wanted to be the first thing she would see when she would awaken so she could feel the joy he had felt when she was the first thing he saw.

But soon, the sound of the popping noise of the old tractor and her husband's steady stream of curses snapped her back to reality and she sighed again. She realized with a great feeling of sadness that things may never be that way again.

_Not unless I make them be that vay, _she thought, _I must find a vay to bring Oliver back to his old self again. But how?_

As she got up from bed and dressed, Lisa racked her brain for ideas as to what she could do to cheer him up. Finally, an idea struck her. Oliver was always complaining that she never did any real work around the house like real farm wives do. Maybe she could do something that would prove to him that she could be a good farm wife after all. But what could she do that was simple enough for her and her lack of domestic skills?

As Lisa walked into the kitchen, she glanced at the washer and dryer. Suddenly a sly smile spread across her face and an idea began to take shape in her mind. With new found energy, she bolted into the bedroom and began rummaging through her husband's clothes. Finally she came across what she was looking for. Oliver's favorite sweater; the sweater that she had bought him for an anniversary that had matched his eyes, the one he claimed he would never part with.

She pulled it out and fingered the blue cotton fabric thoughtfully. If she were to wash it and maybe sew it a little and make it look like brand new, Oliver would realize what a wonderful farm wife she could really be, thus altering his entire mood and changing him back to his old, sweet self. The plan was perfect.

Eagerly, Lisa ran into the kitchen and quickly threw the sweater into the washer, being careful to use cold water so as not to ruin the sweater. She couldn't wait to see the look on Oliver's face when he found out what she had done. With a new giddiness, she turned to the sink and began to wash the dishes she had neglected; glad for once that Oliver hadn't bothered to come home for lunch.

About an hour and a half later, Lisa was done to her last dish and scrubbing vigorously at it. For some reason, the special meal she had made a couple of days before refused to come off the plate. Finally she gave up and nonchalantly tossed it out the window.

"Lisa, what have I told her about throwing plates out the window" someone exclaimed from behind her, causing her to jump. She whirled around to see Oliver standing at the threshold of the kitchen door.

"Olivah," she exclaimed, "I didn't expect you to be back so early."

"Neither did I," Oliver replied bitterly, "but that tractor is just impossible to work with. I ought to march up to Mr. Haney and demand for my money back on that piece of junk he sold me."

"Speaking of vhich, that vas a terrible thing you did to Mr. Haney yesterday. You ought to be ashamed of yourself!"

"What, the vase thing? He had it coming to him. It was about time someone taught him a lesson about trying to take advantage of good people."

At this comment, Lisa rolled her eyes. "That still doesn't give you the right to destroy his property. After all, he didn't do anything that bad. He vas just being his usual self," she argued.

"Yeah, well his usual self needs to be taught a lesson," he repeated grumblingly as he slumped down into a chair.

At this point, Lisa figured it was useless trying to argue with him. Instead she just shook her head at his sadness and poured him a cup of coffee that had been preparing. For a while, both individuals went about whatever they were doing in silence, until Oliver took note of the strange whirring noise in the background. He turned around to see what the source of the noise was.

"Lisa, did you wash something," he asked as he glanced at her and then back to the dryer.

"Vell, it vas going to be a surprise, but I might as vell tell you," she said. A hopeful smile spread across her face as she continued to explain. "I am vashing you favorite sweater and vas planning on mending it as a sus-prise."

"Surprise," Oliver corrected out of habit. "You mean, your _washing_ my cotton sweater? My _pure_ cotton sweater."

"Vell, technicalality, drying it now, but yes."

"Technically," he corrected again. "Lisa, please tell me you didn't use hot water," he said warily.

"Of course not, dahling," she replied indignantly.

"Oh good," he said as breathed a sigh of relief. "Where did you say my sweater was?"

"In the dryer," she stated.

"Oh…..in the dryer," Oliver cried as he jumped up from his seat and switched the dryer off. He opened it, reached in, and slowly revealed a miniature version of his favorite sweater, about the size a two-month-old would need. Lisa's eyes grew wide as saucers as she caught sight of the sweater and she let out a small gasp.

"Dahling, I am so sorry," she said as he held out the sweater for her to see with a less-than-amused look on his face.

"I vas an accident, I swear," she said as he continued to stare.

"I vas only trying to make you feel better," she explained sheepishly under his stern gaze.

"You were trying to make me feel better," he finally exploded. "How is _this _supposed to make me feel better," he demanded to know as he held up the tiny sweater for emphasis.

"Vell, I didn't know you're not supposed to put that sweater in the dryer!"

"Lisa, its pure cotton! Of course you're not supposed to put it in the dryer! It even says it on the label!" He pulled out the now tiny label and read it. "See! Machine wash in cold water, do not put in dryer!"

Oliver paused and looked at Lisa as she cowered before him. It was several seconds before she managed to say something but she was finally able to croak out, "Vell, at least I got half of it right."

"Half of it…" Oliver began, but trailed off. "Lisa, you're supposed to know ALL of it by now! When are you going to learn what it takes to become a good farm wife!"

"Vell, you know I'm not so good vith the domesticals…" she began, but he interrupted her.

"Domestics, Lisa, domestics. When are you going to learn to speak proper English, for that matter? How long have you lived in America!"

"You used to find my malo-po-prisons cute," she said.

"Well now I just find your _maloproprisms _irritating," he cried.

"Olivah," Lisa exclaimed in shock.

"Lisa, next time you want to cheer me up….forget it, okay? Just leave me alone," he said. At that, he threw the miniature sweater down on the table and stormed out of the house. Lisa was left alone, gaping at his terrible behavior.

She couldn't believe what had just taken place between them. In all their years of marriage, her husband had never spoken to her so cruelly before.

_Or so truthfully, _she thought. No matter how insulting his words were, Lisa knew he was right. After so much time living in this country and on a farm, one would think that she would pick up the skills that seemed to come so easy to the locals. But no, she was just as unskilled and un-American as she ever was.

_But none of that should matter; he should love you for who you are, _a voice in the back of her head that she assumed was her conscience said. She knew this was true and seemed true in the past. No matter how much she messed up around the house and with her words, Oliver had always reacted with much more understanding than anger, but now it seemed his patience with her had run out.

Lisa glanced over at the tiny blue sweater lying on the table and sighed, seeing it as a symbol of all her failed attempts to bring her husband back. Suddenly, she realized that her amateur attempts to prove that she could be the kind of wife Oliver wanted wouldn't work anymore. He wanted a real farm wife, something she knew she could never be. She had never felt so utterly useless in her life.

With her head hung low in defeat, Lisa trudged to the bedroom and changed into her nightclothes, not caring that it was only five in the afternoon. She then climbed into bed and burst into tears, wishing she could close her eyes and wake up in New York, as if they had never moved to a farm in the first place. She then rolled over on her side and cried herself to sleep.

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Hello my readers! I am so sorry for such a long delay. You see, when I got back from Dallas, things life school and family issues and junk like that got in the way of my writing, and when all that finally settled, I had to get sick! I was going to wait for my illness to go away to write another chapter, but that would mean delaying this story even more and I felt terribly guilty, so I just decided to write it right now. So please forgive me if this chapter doesn't make sense, my judgment is a little cloudy from the meds and my head and throat are killing me, so please bear with me. Oops, now the meds and the pain are making me ramble. Sorry! I hope you don't lose patience with me and I hope you continue to read and review my story! Bye! 


	5. Declining Health

**The Douglas Farm**

A couple of days went by and things had never been worse in the Douglas household. Lisa had given up trying to reconcile things between her and Oliver and the result was an insurmountable tension that engulfed the farm. Oliver and Lisa hardly spoke a word to each other, and if they were communicating, it only resulted in yelling and slamming of doors. The rest of the time, the Douglas's and Eb would sit in cold silence.

At the moment, Oliver was sipping his coffee and reading the newspaper with a pensive expression on his face, obviously upset over the declining prices in the wheat market. Eb sat across the table from him trying to eat his breakfast as silently as possible so as not to spark Oliver's fury. Lisa was at the stove, gloomily preparing another pot of coffee.

The tension between the three of them was so thick, Eb could hardly stand it. He felt like he was suffocating in silence; he wanted to do something to break it, but knew that it would be to no avail. If he were to open his mouth and say something, it would only be met by a snide remark from Oliver, a defensive retort from Lisa on Eb's behalf, and another heated argument between them. He decided that it would be best to keep his mouth shut.

Eb continued to eat the rest of his breakfast in silence, trying to think of anything else besides the horrible strain in the kitchen. But one thought led to another and soon Eb began to reminisce about the good times he and the Douglas's used to have together, which upset him even more than the silence. He remembered how much fun it used to be working with Lisa to scam Oliver into doing something he already said he wouldn't do. He recalled the wonderful feeling of unity he felt with them. He had felt like he was really part of the family in those days. Despite his resolution to stay silent, Eb sighed.

It seemed like those times were so long ago, but in reality they only occurred a few months before. He looked at Oliver and Lisa and wondered how things could have changed so much so quickly. The good natured sparkle that used to be present in Oliver's eyes in the face of all his yelling was now completely gone and replaced with a look of frustration. There also seemed to be deep lines of anger permanently sketched in his forehead and frown lines forever present on the corners of his mouth.

But it was the changes that Lisa had undergone that worried Eb the most. Like Oliver, any trace of happiness in her eyes was gone, but unlike Oliver, it was replaced with a deep sadness. She also seemed paler than usual and there were bags under her eyes indicating that she hadn't had a good night's sleep in a while. Eb also couldn't remember the last time she ate, which would explain her slightly thinner appearance.

_Mr. Douglas's mood isn't just ruining their marriage, it's ruining her health, _Eb thought sadly. At this thought, Eb's anxiety increased ten fold. He knew if he didn't do something soon, the Douglas marriage and Lisa's healthy days would be over.

_Well, I am not be able to do anything about their marriage, but I can do something to help Mrs. Douglas, _he thought. At that moment, Eb resolved to something special for Lisa to cheer her up.

_Maybe I could cook her a nice dinner, just for her, _he thought. At the prospect, Eb became very excited and began to finish off his breakfast with a new energy. When he finished, he proceeded to wash his dishes and was just about to walk out the back door when he heard Oliver's stern voice call out to him from behind.

"Eb, now that you're _finally _finished eating," he said bitingly, "you can get started on watering the tomatoes and weeding the wheat."

"Yes Mr. Douglas," Eb replied with a more exasperated tone then he meant to use. Oliver gave him a cold stare but continued on.

"I'm going into Drucker's and when I return, I expect to see at least one of those chores completed. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir," Eb answered in a more humble tone this time. With that, Oliver stood up and without so much as a goodbye to either of them, walked into the living room and out of the house, slamming the door behind him. Lisa winced at the harsh sound, sighed and began to clear the table, tears sparkling in her brown eyes. Eb figured that if she could ever use cheering up, now was that time.

"Mrs. Douglas," Eb asked in a soft voice.

"Yes Eb," Lisa replied in as much of a cheery tone as she could muster.

"Well, I was noticing that Mr. Douglas hardly comes home for dinner anymore, so I was wondering if you would let me treat you to a special dinner. You know, just the two of us, so we can kind of give each other company," Eb explained with a hopeful smile on his face.

"Eb, that is very kind of you, but I vouldn't vant you to get into any kind of trouble vith my husband for leaving vork early," she replied.

"Aw, don't worry about that, Mrs. Douglas. We usually work at opposite ends of the fields anyway. He wouldn't even notice I'm gone."

"Vell, I don't know, Eb. I haven't had much of an appetite lately." Lisa replied sadly.

"My cooking will change that," Eb said quickly. "Come on, Mrs. Douglas, it'll give us a chance to just sit in peace and talk about things."

Lisa was fully aware of what Eb was getting at and smiled at him gratefully. "That vould be very nice, Eb. Vot do you say we schedule this dinner for tomorrow?"

"How about tonight," Eb asked, not wanting Lisa to go another day without eating a decent meal.

"Alright, Eb. Tonight it is," she said with a smile at which Eb beamed. It had been a while since he had seen one of those on her face and he was proud that he could put it there.

"Great Mrs. Douglas! I'll go start on my chores so I can finish early and won't skip out on to much work," he said.

"Alright, go ahead," Lisa replied as she turned to get back to clearing the table. Eb turned around and was about to head out the front door when he remembered something.

"Oh and it's a formal dinner," he added with a smile. Lisa giggled.

"I'll be sure to remember that," she said with a wink. At that, Eb turned and bounded toward the fields, glad that he could make his "mom" so happy. He just hoped the dinner he was to prepare for her would be just the trick to return her health back to normal.


	6. Tired

**Drucker's General Store**

While all this drama was taking place at the Douglas farm, things could not have been more normal at the sleepy old general store….well, as normal as it could get in the world of Hooterville. Sam was puttering around the store taking inventory while Mr. Ziffel and Mr. Kimball were engaging in a game of checkers. Arnold was busy in the pet section, picking out the tastiest "pig treats" (which were really dog treats, but he couldn't tell the difference).

It was while all this was going on that Oliver walked into the store. The men had already heard from Mr. Haney and Eb about Oliver's treatment towards his wife and everyone else around him, so it is well understood that they were less than thrilled to see him.

"Good morning, gentlemen," Oliver said dryly. The men muttered their greetings without looking up or smiling. Completing oblivious to their indifference towards him, Oliver walked over to the counter to be waited on. But Mr. Drucker was still busying himself with the inventory and didn't notice Oliver standing there impatiently.

"Ahem," Oliver cleared his throat pointedly. But Mr. Drucker didn't even glance at him.

"Ahem," he tried again, but still nothing. Finally, Oliver lost his patience. He banged his hand on the counter, causing everyone in the store to jump and look up at him.

"Mr. Drucker, I would like to be waited on sometime _today,_" he said snidely. Mr. Drucker rolled his eyes and proceeded to make his way over to the counter.

"What can I do for you," he said to Oliver when he finally got behind the counter, not bothering to hide the irritation in his voice.

"Yes, I need a…" Oliver began to say, but he was interrupted by grunts coming from somewhere around his feet. He looked down to see Arnold standing next to him with a box of "pig treats" in his mouth.

"What do you want, you dirty…" Oliver said irritably.

"Arnold says he was here first and therefore should be waited on first," Mr. Ziffel translated while he ate one of Mr. Kimball's checker pieces with his own.

"Well, I don't care if…" Oliver began to tell the animal standing next to him, but realized he was talking to a pig and turned to Mr. Ziffel instead with an exasperated sigh.

"Tell that pig that I don't care if he was here first, I have some very important matters to attend to first." This sentence was followed by squeals of complaint from Arnold.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Douglas, but Arnold does have a point. He was here first," Mr. Drucker stated. Before Oliver had a chance to argue, Mr. Drucker proceeded to walk around the counter and pick up the treats Arnold had chosen. Oliver waited impatiently as Mr. Drucker charged the treats to the Ziffel's bill, bagged Arnold's purchase and handed it to him.

"There you are Arnold," Mr. Drucker said kindly. Arnold replied with a grunt.

"May I get waited on now, _please_," Oliver chimed in with annoyance.

"Yes, Mr. Douglas, what can I do for you," Mr. Drucker said in a less-than-friendly tone.

"I need a new part for my tractor," Oliver explained as he pulled out a part from his pocket and handed it to Mr. Drucker. "Would you happen to have it in stock?"

Mr. Drucker took a minute to scrutinize the part before responding. "Sorry, Mr. Douglas, I don't. But I can order it for you."

"Good. When will it be here," Oliver inquired.

"About three weeks," Mr. Drucker replied.

"Three weeks," Oliver exclaimed. "I can't wait three weeks for it! I have to start planting this week!"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Douglas, but that's the fastest I can have that part by. The only other thing you can do is try to borrow a tractor from someone in the valley. Otherwise, you'll just have to wait."

"I can't wait! Look here, Mr. Drucker, I need that part…." Oliver said, his voice rising higher and higher with anger, but Mr. Drucker cut him off.

"And I already told you that I can't get in it any faster than that. I'm sorry," he said in a tone that was meant to end the discussion, but Oliver wasn't going to give up that easily. He opened his mouth to say something when he was once again interrupted, this time by Mr. Kimball.

"Why don't you rent one from Mr. Haney. I'm sure he can give you a great deal…well, not a great deal…he might be able to give you…well, that is if he had one…what were we talking about again?"

"Would you keep out of this! This matter does not concern you," Oliver hissed, causing Mr. Kimball to shrink back into his chair.

"Now don't you start on him, Mr. Douglas. He was just trying to help," Mr. Drucker said in his defense, obviously more than fed up with Oliver's attitude.

Oliver stared at Mr. Drucker with his mouth agape, shocked that the usually calm Mr. Drucker would snap at him like that. After a few more seconds, he finally snapped out of it enough to get the last words in the argument.

"I don't even know why I bother talking to any of you," he said cruelly. With that he stormed out of the general store and sped off.

**Meanwhile, back on the farm….**

Lisa was busy passing the time by dusting around the house when she heard a familiar vehicle pull up in front of the house. She was in a considerably better mood thanks to hers and Eb's plans for the evening, so it was no trouble for her to put on a smile as walked out the door to greet the visitor. She stepped outside to see Mr. Haney's old beat up truck come to a stop a few feet from the door.

"Good morning, Mr. Haney," she said in that sweet, sympathetic tone she reserved only for when people she felt sorry for came to visit; and boy did she feel sorry for Mr. Haney. Ever since the incident with the pot, every time she saw Mr. Haney he had a dejected look on his face. Although he wouldn't admit it, Lisa could tell that Oliver's cruel words had struck a cord in him. Rumor had it that he hadn't tried to sell anything to anyone in days. Lisa's heart went out to him.

"Good morning, Mrs. Douglas," he said half-heartedly.

"Good morning, Mr. Haney. Vot brings you out here," she asks.

"Well, the Monroe Brothers' car broke down and I was just bringing them over here so they can work on that bedroom of yours," he answered.

"Oh thank you, Mr. Haney, that vas very kind of you. I can see how much you care for them and us," she said in an attempt to ease the sting of her husband's remarks. As she said this, she put a sympathetic hand on his arm, causing him to blush. "Vould you like some coffee or somes-thing?"

"Thank you kindly, Mrs. Douglas, but I best be getting along. Alf and Ralph are probably in the bedroom already. I'll be seeing you," he said as he climbed back into his truck.

"Good bye, Mr. Haney," Lisa called out as he drove away. She then turned around and walked back into the house to see if Alf and Ralph really were in the bedroom. Sure enough, there they were, laying down the bricks for the fireplace that should have been built years ago.

"Good morning, Alf. Good morning, Ralph," Lisa greeted them both cheerfully.

"Good morning, Mrs. Douglas," the said in unison as they continued to slab bricks with cement and lay them down. They worked in silence for a while as Lisa sat down on the bed to file her nails, but all of a sudden, Ralph put down her trowel and looked at her with a sympathetic look on her face.

"Mrs. Douglas, we heard what a monster you're husband has been lately, and we would like to say how sorry we are," Ralph said as she took a seat next to Lisa on the bed.

"Yeah, nobody knows better than us how bad Mr. Douglas's temper can be, and we're really sorry it's gotten worse," Alf said with a hint of cynicism as he continued laying down the bricks. Ralph turned to him and shot him a disapproving glance.

"Alf, you dope, keep you're stupid comments to yourself. Can't you see I'm trying to cheer her up!"

"Hey, no name calling or I'm telling mom," Alf exclaimed in response. This made Ralph jump up from the bed and charge towards him with her fist raised menacingly.

"You tell mom and I'll let you have it later," she said. Lisa could see that this was about to get out of hand, so she quickly intervened.

"Alf, Ralph, please don't fight. I know you vere just trying to help and I appreciate it greatly," she said with an assuring smile. Alf and Ralph returned the smile with childish glee, obviously glad that they could be of some help to a person they so admire.

"Besides," Lisa continued, "my husband has been losing his temper a lot lately, but it isn't entirely his fault. This farm is a lot to handle; I'm sure once things slow down, he'll return to his normal self."

"Which won't be a big improvement from the way he is now," Alf added, causing Ralph to elbow him in the ribs. Though the comment did offend her a bit on her husband's behalf, Lisa couldn't help but smile. Truthfully, however, she knew deep down she had already given up hope and the words of assurance were nothing but a way to make excuses for her husband. She was glad she had friends like the Monroe Brothers that cared for her so and could cheer her up during her time of depression.

Suddenly, this touching moment was interrupted by a sharp slam of the front door and the entry of Oliver to the bedroom. He paused for a moment to hang up his coat and hat in the closet and then walked over to where the three were gathered.

Without so much as a greeting to any of them, he simply paused by Alf and Ralph's side and said, "Where have you two been?"

"Well," Ralph replied hesitantly, "we had some other jobs to complete before we could come back and finish up here."

"You had other jobs to complete! On my time," Oliver exclaimed. "You two were supposed to finish this bedroom two years ago, and you're telling me that you had other jobs to _complete_!"

"Uh, yes sir, I mean, no sir, I mean…" Alf stammered under Oliver's glare, but Oliver cut him off.

"Never mind, it doesn't matter anyway. It _would _have been completed if you two had built it correctly in the first place, but now I guess all hope is lost," he said in an exasperated tone and as he sat on the bed next to Lisa.

"What do you mean, if we had built this bedroom correctly in the first place? What wrong with this bedroom" Alf asked incredulously.

"What's wrong with the bedroom! What do you mean what's wrong with the bedroom," Oliver retorted.

"I mean that all things considered, I think my brother and me built a pretty good bedroom," Alf replied in a defensive tone.

"Yeah," Ralph exclaimed as she took her stand next to her brother.

"What do you mean all things considered," Oliver asked, the anger rising in his voice.

"I mean considering the fact that you gave us such a crummy place to work with in the first place," Alf exclaimed. This caused Oliver to jump up from his seat on the bed.

"How dare you speak to me in that manner? I am your boss and therefore should be treated with respect," he said right into Alf's face.

"I'm giving _my boss_ the kind of respect he deserves," Alf replied cynically. This comment seemed to send Oliver over the edge once more. He raised his hand menacingly over Alf's head as if he were going to strike him. The fear was evident in Alf's eyes but he did not budge.

Meanwhile, Lisa saw Oliver's gesture and could tell by the look in his eyes that he was serious. In the split second it took her husband to raise his hand and begin to swing towards Alf's face, she was off the bed and placing herself in front of him, blocking Alf from his blow. Not daring to hit a woman, let alone his own wife, Oliver stopped his hand in mid air, just inches away from where Alf's face would have been.

"Lisa, get out of the way. This doesn't concern you," he said with anger flashing in his blue eyes, but Lisa stood her ground, knowing that her presence would at least keep him from resorting to violence.

Oliver knew why she refused to move and sighed in exasperation at the fact that he was interrupted from giving those Monroe brothers, or at least the male Monroe brother, what they deserved. Instead he looked over her shoulder at the pair and cast a look of contempt at them.

"You're both fired," he announced. And without so much as another word to any of them, he turned around and stalked out of the bedroom. As soon as he was out the room, Ralph burst into tears. Alf rolled his eyes and handed his brother…er, sister…a hankie from his pocket.

"Oh, Ralph, please don't cry," Lisa said sympathetically as she wrapped her arms around her shoulders. But this only made Ralph bawl louder.

"Ralph, quit your bawling. This isn't the first job we've been fired from and it won't be the last," Alf said as he began gathering up their tools. He tried to keep the shock out of his voice, but anyone could see that he was shaken from scene that had just taken place.

"Yeah, but this was my favorite job," Ralph exclaimed through tears. "I sure am going to miss you, Mrs. Douglas! You're my best friend!"

"Oh Ralph, don't vorry. This isn't goodbye. You can come over anytime you vont, even if it's just to talk. Ve can still be best friends," Lisa said reassuringly.

"That's a nice idea, Mrs. Douglas, but I don't think I'll be very welcomed with your husband around. Why does he have to be such a grouch," Ralph asked as she wiped the tears from her eyes and blew her nose loudly. She proceeded to hand the hankie back to Alf, who grabbed it gingerly with his fingertips and tossed it aside with a look of disgust on his face.

Meanwhile, Lisa opened her mouth to defend her husband, but for the first time, couldn't think of a thing to say. "I don't know," was all she could come up with.

"Well, it was nice knowing _you_, Mrs. Douglas," Alf said after a few seconds of sad silence. "Come on, Ralph."

"I'm coming," Ralph said between sniffs. "Goodbye, Mrs. Douglas. I sure am going to miss you." Lisa smiled as Ralph turned and enveloped her in a tight hug.

"Oh Ralph, this isn't good bye. I promise," she said. Ralph smiled a watery smile in reply and followed her brother out the closet door. Lisa sighed once more and sat down on the bed to continue with her nails, pondering at what just took place.

Before, Lisa had always been able to defend her husband, no matter how barbaric his actions had been. But a few minutes ago, she couldn't think of a thing to say on his behalf. She just couldn't understand.

Suddenly, as she sat on the bed alone filing her nails, it hit her. She was tired; tired of making excuses and lying and being alone all the time. She just couldn't take it anymore. It was not only destroying her health and marriage, but her spirit as well. Lisa decided right then and there that she had to do something to save the old, happy version of her husband soon, or it would be the end of her as well.


	7. Of Pleasant Dinners and New Plans

**The Douglas Farm**

The rest of the day passed by uneventfully, but mostly because Oliver spent the rest of it in the corn fields slaving away endlessly with Eb. He was determined to get his entire three hundred acre farm perfectly cultivated before it came time to harvest the crops, and he vowed to work all night if he had to. Eb, however, stuck to his promise and snuck away to cook Lisa her special dinner.

About two hours after that, just as Eb had finished setting the table, Lisa appeared in the doorway, dressed in one of her most elegant gowns. Eb smiled and walked up to her side.

"Hi mom! Boy, do you look pretty," he said as he offered her his arm. Lisa smiled warmly and took it.

"Thank you Eb. And don't you look just as handsome in your best suit," she added. Eb beamed and pulled out her chair for her. He then walked over to the stove and grabbed an already prepared plate of food. He placed it gently in front of Lisa.

"Mademoiselle, your dinner is served," he said in a thick French accent, causing Lisa to giggle.

"Vhy thank you Eb, it looks delicious," she complimented him as he grabbed his own plate and took a seat across the table. She then proceeded to pick up a fork and taste the spaghetti he had prepared.

"Mmmm," she said as she savored it. "Eb, this is delicious! Vhere did you ever learn to cook?"

"I taught myself over the years. It's real simple if you just follow the recipe," he replied.

"Oh, you have a special recipe?"

"Yeah, one that has been handed down in my family from generation to generation. You want to know what it is?"

"Sure," Lisa replied. Eb looked around and leaned in dramatically.

"Can you be trusted with the secret?"

"Of course!"

"Okay," Eb said warily. He proceeded to lean in more and whispered dramatically, "Spaghetti noodles and tomato sauce."

Lisa rolled her eyes good naturedly. "Oh Eb," she said as she laughed.

The rest of the dinner went on just as pleasantly. The two friends talked and laughed and reminisced about better times. Lisa couldn't remember how long it had been since she had had such a good time, or ate so well. She was beginning to feel like her old self again.

But over dessert, as a comfortable silence fell between them, she realized that this wasn't real. Sure, she was having a good time, but as soon as dinner was over and Eb went back to work, things would go back to the way they were, miserable. Lisa was beginning to feel the depression she had gotten so accustomed to return once again.

Eb noticed the sad look in her eyes as she poked at her dessert and began to worry again.

"You alright, mom," he asked, his voice full of concern. Lisa looked up and he could see tears sparkling in her eyes.

"Fine as I'll ever be," she replied sadly.

"What's the matter," Eb asked. Lisa put down her fork and sighed.

"Oh Eb, everything's the matter," she exclaimed. "I don't know how much more I can take! I'm tired of living like this! I'm tired of making excuses and being alone all the time! I need the old Olivah back; I can't live vith the new vone much longer."

"Please don't give up on him just yet," Eb replied.

"I'm afraid I might have already. This afternoon, I couldn't even make an excuse for his behavior toward the Monroe Brothers. I couldn't think of anything to say. It frightened me," she said as a single tear trickled down her cheek.

"I know you're tired Mrs. Douglas, I am too," Eb said sympathetically. "But you can't give up on him just yet. You can still bring the old him back."

"But how?"

Eb stayed quiet to think for a minute. Suddenly it occurred to him.

"A surprise party," he exclaimed.

"A vot," Lisa asked confused.

"We can throw him a surprise party and invite all his friends from Hooterville to come talk to him! They can remind him of better times where he wasn't such a grouch and maybe they can get him to return back to his old less grouchy self!"

"Oh! Sort of like an interception," she replied excitedly. Eb furrowed his brows in confusion.

"A what?"

"You know, vone of those things vhere a bunch of people get together and tell another person that they are doing something vrong," she explained. After a few seconds of pondering, Eb finally understood.

"Oh! You mean an intervention! Yeah, sort of like that," he replied.

"That's a vonderful idea, Eb! Maybe vith all of us there, ve can get him to change his ways," she replied.

Eb nodded and smiled in reply, happy to see that his idea brought some hope back into her life. Suddenly, he noticed how dark out it was. He glanced at his watch and realized that he had been gone nearly four hours.

"Holy smoke! I better get back from the fields before Mr. Douglas discovers I've been gone and comes looking for me!" He began to head out the back door, but Lisa stopped him.

"Oh Eb," she called out before he could walk out. She then walked over to his side, stood on her tippytoes and kissed him on the cheek.

"How can I ever thank you for the dinner," she asked.

"Just promise me you won't let your husband upset you too much," he replied.

"Vot do you mean?"

"Well, it's just that I noticed you've been looking a little poor lately and I was beginning to worry about you. Please promise me that you'll take care of yourself, no matter what happens with your husband."

Lisa smiled once more. "I promise, and it's very sweet of you to care for me so, Eb. I greatly appreciate it."

"Anytime, mom," he said with a grin. He then ran out the back door and out to the fields, leaving Lisa alone once more. But this time, she didn't feel as lonely as she usually did when both men were working out in the corn fields. This time she had the good feeling of companionship and hope to keep her company.


	8. The Less Than Successful Party

**The Douglas Farm**

The next day, as Oliver headed off to the fields, Eb lingered behind and he and Lisa set their party plans into action. Since the party was to be a simple one, they decided that they could put it together that afternoon and hold it that evening when Oliver came home from the fields. "The sooner the better," Eb had said, to which Lisa agreed whole-heartedly.

So, later that morning, Eb told Oliver that his wife had asked him to pick up a few things from Drucker's store and instead drove all around Hooterville, visiting the Douglas's closest friends and explaining the plan. Fortunately, all agreed to attend to reminisce about the good times they had with Oliver (well, all except Mr. Trendall, who assured Eb that he would have nothing good to say about him anyway).

Meanwhile, Mr. Haney agreed to give Lisa a ride into Pixley, where she purchased refreshments and small party favors from the grocery store. Luckily, she returned just minutes before Oliver came in for lunch.

After lunch, Oliver returned to the fields and Lisa began tiding up around the house before the guests arrived. She then set out a table with the refreshments she had purchased.

At five thirty on the dot, her friends arrived, which included the Ziffel's, Mr. Drucker, Mr. Kimball, Mr. Kiley, Mr. Miller, Mr. Haney and even the Monroe Brothers. Lisa greeted her guests and handed out the party favors.

A half an hour later, Eb ran in through the front door and announced that Oliver was coming. He hit the lights and everyone found hiding places. Lisa, who was hiding just behind the door, drew in a deep, shaky breath. Now was the moment of truth; the moment that determined whether the party would be a success or a complete failure.

She jumped a little when she heard the doorknob being turned and the front door opening.

"What the…" she heard Oliver say as he stepped into the darkened room. He switched on the lights, which caused everyone to jump out of their hiding places and yell, "Surprise!"

"What in the world," Oliver exclaimed as he jumped a little from the shock of the surprise. "What is all this?"

"It's a party for you, dahling," Lisa explained as she revealed herself from her hiding place. Oliver whirled around and stared at her with bewilderment.

"A party for me! But why," Oliver inquired.

"We just thought you needed a break from all the stress of farming, dad," Eb said.

"Don't call me…" Oliver began, but Mr. Drucker interrupted him.

"We gathered here to just talk to you and spend a little quality time with you, Mr. Douglas," he explained.

"And we even made you a little gift," Mr. Kiley said as pulled out a package from behind the sofa.

"A gift for me," Oliver asked incredulously, as he walked over to the sofa.

"Especially for you," Mr. Haney replied. Oliver smiled and sat down to open the gift.

Lisa looked into Oliver's eyes to read his reactions, and to her surprise, she could see them softening a little (not by much, but it was still something). She put on a hopeful smile as she took a seat next to him on the sofa.

Oliver quickly tore off the wrapping paper on his gift to reveal a large book like thing.

"What's this," he asked.

"It's a scrapbook," Mrs. Ziffel replied.

"Yes, we threw it together this afternoon," Mr. Ziffel said which caused his wife to elbow him hard in the ribs. "I mean, we worked real hard on it," he amended himself.

Oliver opened it and flipped threw it page by page to reveal little odds and ends of events that had taken place during his time there. There was newspaper clipping of events such as him passing the state bar exam that allowed him to practice law again, the page from the Hooterville Directory that listed him as a lawyer, a tiny scrap of the plane that he had used to save the Hooterville crops from the bing bug, and other little odds and ends.

As he studied each item, everybody threw in a fond memory that pertained to that particular item. Some of the items sent Oliver, much to everyone's surprise, into fits of laughter, such as the letter that read that Ralph had been drafted. Lisa could feel her hopes rising as her husband flipped through the scrapbook. She was beginning to think this party was a good idea after all.

Unfortunately, her thoughts was a bit premature, for just as she was thinking this thought, Alf opened his mouth and said, "Gee Mr. Douglas, I'm glad to see this party worked to cure your attitude."

Oliver froze in mid-page flip and turned toward Alf. "What do you mean," he asked in somewhat of a tense tone.

"I just mean that it's good that all this reminiscing took your mind of the farm," Alf said quickly, trying to correct his previous statement, but it was to no avail.

"Do you mean to say that this party was just some sort of plot against me," Oliver asked as he glared at Lisa.

"Of course not dahling, ve just vanted to get together…" she tried to explain, but Oliver cut her off.

"Am I to understand that you all collectively grew tired of me and therefore concocted this plot to reform me? Is that it," he demanded to know. Lisa opened her mouth to deny it, but once again she was interrupted.

"Well, you have to admit, Mr. Douglas, you have been less than pleasant to live with these past couple of weeks," Mr. Haney said bitingly.

"Now see here, Mr. Haney…" Oliver began, but he too was cut off.

"Mr. Douglas, please be reasonable. We were only doing this for your sake," Mr. Drucker said.

"My sake! My sake! Are you trying to tell me that you all ganged up against me for _my sake,_" Oliver exclaimed as he threw the scrapbook aside and jumped up from his seat.

"Now Olivah, dahling, please do not let you temper get the best of you," Lisa said as she stood up and gently touched his arm, but Oliver drew it away and turned to face her.

"How could you plot against me like this, Lisa," he demanded to know.

"Now don't you start on her, Mr. Douglas. It wasn't her idea, it was mine," Eb said, coming to Lisa's defense. Oliver turned around to face Eb.

"This was your idea," he asked.

"All of it," Eb replied.

"In that case, you're fired," Oliver shouted. A collective gasp sounded through the room. Eb swallowed hard.

"Fired," he asked incredulously.

"Yes, fired. I expect you to be off my property by tomorrow afternoon," he added matter-of-factly, as if he was firing just another staff worker.

"This party is over. Now if you all will kindly leave, I would like to go to bed," Oliver said. He then turned and began to walk to the bedroom, but Lisa grabbed his wrist from behind.

"Olivah, please think about vot you are saying. You're letting your anger get the best of you! You're overreacting," she said.

"Lisa, let go of my wrist," Oliver said as evenly as he could, but she kept a firm grip on it.

"Olivah, please, Eb vas just trying to help me. He is not to blame, I am. Please don't fire him," she pleaded.

"Lisa, let go," he said a little more tensely.

"Olivah, please," she said once more.

Finally losing his temper, Oliver exclaimed, "I said let go," and roughly yanked his wrist out of his wife's grasp, causing her to stumble forward a bit. Not noticing how hard he had indeed yanked his wrist away, Oliver instead looked around at the bewildered guests and wondered why they haven't left yet.

"I said, get out," he shouted, causing everyone to jump. He then stomped into the bedroom and slammed the door behind him. A shocked silence followed.

Finally, Lisa regained her composure. She turned to her guests and said in a tearful voice, "Thank you all very much for taking the time to come."

"Mrs. Douglas," Ralph began in a sympathetic tone, but Lisa interrupted her.

"I'm alright, I'm just…very tired all of a sudden. I vould like to go to bed now, if you all don't mind."

"We understand, Mrs. Douglas," Mr. Drucker said kindly. "Come on you guys, let's go."

Everyone slowly and silently followed Mr. Drucker out the front door, leaving only Eb and Lisa in the living room. As soon as the front door shut behind the last person, Lisa burst into tears. Eb quickly joined her by her side and put a sympathetic hand on her arm, not quite sure what to do next.

"Oh Eb," Lisa said between hiccups, "I'm so sorry it turned out like this."

"It's okay, mom. It's not your fault," he said sadly. "Well, I best be getting up to my room and packing."

"Oh Eb, please don't do that. I'm sure I can reason with him," she replied.

"No, no Mrs. Douglas. You don't have to do that. I have a feeling I overstayed my welcome anyway. Good night," Eb said sadly. He then walked out throw the front door, leaving Lisa to her misery.


	9. The Last Straw

Before I begin, I would like to dedicate the rest of the chapters to a dear friend of mine, MissEndora from the TVLand message board, for whom without the rest of the chapters would not exist.

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* * *

****The Douglas Farm**

A couple of days dragged by with nothing for Lisa to do but tearfully help Eb pack up his things from his room. Since he had to figure out where he was going to live, find a new job, and figure out a way to get his furniture out of the loft, Oliver had "graciously" allowed Eb a week to do all this. Now his week was up and it was the day Eb was due to leave. Lisa was up in his loft helping him box up the last of his belongings.

"Oh Eb, I vish you vould reconsider leaving," she said as she taped up one of the boxes.

"I would mom, but I can't. Mr. Douglas wouldn't allow it. He never did like me," Eb said sadly.

"He did too like you, Eb…once. He's just so different now. That's vhy you can't leave. I'm afraid something terrible will happen as soon as you do. I need you here," she said. Eb stopped what he was doing and looked at her with sad eyes.

"Believe me mom, I would give anything to stay, but I just can't. I would probably just make his temper worse and it would make things worse for you. But I promise I'll write to you everyday and visit whenever I can," he replied.

"Vell…I guess that'll have to do," she relented sadly as she hugged him. "But I'm going to miss you so."

"I'm going to miss you too, mom," Eb said in a tearful voice. Lisa smiled sadly and enveloped him in a hug. The stood there for several seconds just hugging each other until the phone rang.

"Lisa! Answer the phone," they heard Oliver yell from somewhere on the farm. They let go of each other and Lisa rolled her eyes at her husbands command.

"I'll be right back," she said in an exasperated tone.

"Okay and I'll take these boxes down to the truck," Eb replied as he picked up one of the boxes. Lisa descended the ladder, walked around the side of the house, and climbed the pole to answer the phone.

"Hello," she said upon picking it up.

"Lisa, darling," she heard a familiar voice exclaim on the other end.

"Motha, dahling! It's been so long! How are you," Lisa asked once she recognized her husband's mother's voice.

"Oh, I'm fine dear, just fine. How are things in slumville," she asked with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

"Things are fine her in _Hootersville_," Lisa responded pointedly, but she couldn't hold back her smile.

"Good! How's my son," she asked. At this question Lisa paused. Should she tell his mother the truth? She didn't want to lie to her, but she didn't want to worry her either. _Well, she's his mother and she deserves to know, _Lisa decided.

"Actually motha, he's not vell," she said gently.

"What! What is wrong with him? Is he sick," Oliver's mother asked in a panic-stricken voice.

"Oh no, no, motha! It's nothing like that," Lisa added quickly, immediately regretting her choice of words. "It's just that he's changed so much. He's grouchy all the time and he's so cruel to everyone."

"Oh, is that all," Oliver's mother exclaimed with a laugh. "Darling, that's nothing to worry about. It's hereditary! His father was the exact same way when his work got too much for him."

"But motha, it's just not like him! He's so rude to everyone…especially to me," she added sadly.

"I know dear, but I'm afraid it's just the way the Douglas men are. They become too passionate when it comes to things such as work; they take things too seriously. That's why I never wanted you to marry him."

"Oh motha," Lisa said sadly.

"Don't you worry, darling. If he continues to get worse, you always have a home here with me in New York," she said sweetly.

"Thank you, motha. I must now. Take care and I vill talk to you soon. Goodbye, dahling," Lisa said.

"Goodbye, dear," Oliver's mother responded. Lisa hung up the phone and sighed deeply. She was so hoping that her husband's mother would be able to help her solve her problem not provide an explanation to Oliver's behavior. She sighed once more and began to climb down the pole. She was going to go help Eb pack up the rest of his stuff, but when she reached the ground she suddenly felt very strange. Her breath shortened and the world suddenly began to spin about her. Fear consumed her as she shut her eyes to will the earth to stop spinning but it was to no avail. She could feel herself begin to fall.

Meanwhile, Eb had just finished loading the last of the boxes into a truck his friend had lent him when he remembered he forgot to call the Pixley motel to make reservations for the next few days until he could find a more permanent residence. He rounded the corner of the house to where the pole was but stopped when he saw Lisa standing at the base of it with her eyes shut. He was about to ask her if she was alright when he noticed that she was going to collapse.

Eb ran as fast as his legs could carry him over to her side, where he managed to catch her just before she hit the ground. He scooped her up in his arms and carried her into the house and gently laid her down on the sofa. A half conscious Lisa managed to clear her head and give Eb and grateful smile.

"Oh Eb, thank goodness you arrived at just the right moment," she said.

"Mrs. Douglas, are you alright," Eb asked with concern and bewilderment.

"Yes, I'm just fine. Vhy," she asked as she slowly began to sit up.

"You almost fainted, that's why," Eb exclaimed. "What's wrong? Have you not been eating or sleeping again!"

Lisa's pale, slightly slimmer appearance and the guilty look on her face told him that she has not. Eb sighed heavily.

"Mrs. Douglas, you can't keep doing this to yourself. You could get really sick. I think you should go see the doctor," he suggested, but Lisa quickly jumped up from the couch in protest.

"No Eb, I'm fine. And I will be fine, so long as you stay here with me," she said.

"You know I can't do that," Eb replied sadly.

"But please Eb! Vot am I going to do without you? I'll be so lonely," she cried.

"You still have Mr. Douglas. He may be a little different right now, to say the least, but he'll come around. You'll see," Eb said in hopes that it would encourage her. Lisa knew what he was trying to do and smiled gratefully. It was at that moment that she realized that there was really nothing she could do about Eb's leaving so long as her husband's attitude was the way it was. She then decided to make the best of it.

"You're right, Eb," she said. "I'm sure thing vill be fine. But like I said, I vill miss you Eb…so very much." A fresh wave of tears spilled over her cheeks as she embraced him for what would probably be the last time. Eb returned the friendly embrace.

"I'll miss you more," Eb replied. "You were the best mom I ever had."

"And you vere the best son I ever had," she replied with a smile. "I love you."

"I love you too," Eb said. He leaned in to give her a friendly kiss on the cheek goodbye, when Oliver walked in at exactly the wrong moment.

"What are you doing holding my wife," Oliver demanded to know.

"I was just going to wish her goodbye," Eb replied.

"Oh is that all you were doing," Oliver replied sarcastically, obviously accusing Eb of something greater.

"Olivah! How could you even think such a thing," Lisa exclaimed.

"You stay out of this Lisa! And you, get out of my house and off my property immediately," he told Eb as he turned around and opened the front door. Eb sighed.

"I'm going," he said unenthusiastically. He then bent down and gave Lisa the kiss on the cheek he was going to give her, much to Oliver's dismay.

"Bye mom," Eb said dejectedly.

"Don't call her mom," Oliver exclaimed as he grabbed Eb by the elbow and hurried him out the door. He then turned his attention to Lisa.

"Lisa, I'm hungry. Make me some dinner," he demanded.

Oliver was about to close the door behind him when he heard Eb yell, "Wait, I didn't get to hug your wife one last time!"

"And you won't get to," Oliver yelled as he joined Eb outside and shut the door before Lisa had a chance to protest. Lisa sighed dejectedly and decided that there was nothing to do now but to make her husband's lunch. She turned around and trudged into the kitchen to prepare the only thing she knew how to cook, hotcakes.

Meanwhile Oliver was still outside yelling at Eb. "I want you off my property in the next five minutes or I'll call the sheriff on you," he said menacingly.

"I'm going, I'm going," Eb said in an irritated manner that seemed to set Oliver off even more.

"I don't know how I put up with you for this long! All you ever did was complain and skip out on work! Now I want you to leave and never come back," Oliver yelled. This last comment sent Eb over the edge. He couldn't hold his tongue any longer. He stormed up to Oliver and looked him straight in the eye.

"Oh I'll come back alright, not for your sake, but for your wife's," he yelled. Oliver was a little taken aback at Eb's sudden boldness, but he quickly regained his composure and narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

"What do you mean," he demanded to know.

Eb scoffed. "Are you so blinded by your anger that you can't see it? Haven't you noticed how much thinner or paler she has gotten! You're anger is not only ruining your marriage but her health!"

"You're crazy," Oliver said dismissively.

"It's true! Just look at her! You're going to push her too far," Eb yelled.

"Get off my property, now," Oliver exclaimed, having heard enough.

"Fine," Eb said as she climbed into the truck and started the engine. "But mark my words, ff you don't change back to your old ways soon, Mr. Douglas, you're going to lose her, one way or another." And with that last warning, Eb drove away.

"Good riddance to bad rubbish," Oliver said under his breath while trying to push Eb's words out of his mind.

_Have I been that bad, _Oliver wondered for a brief second. He shook his head quickly and dismissed the thoughts from his head. He then turned around and headed into the kitchen for his dinner.

Lisa looked up when she heard her husband enter the kitchen and take a seat at the table.

"Did Eb leave," she asked even though she knew the answer.

"Yes, thankfully," Oliver mumbled.

"Oh Olivah, I vish you hadn't sent him avay! He vas like a member of the family! And you could use the help around the farm," Lisa pleaded with him once more, but Oliver silenced her.

"I can manage the farm just fine without that lazy knothead, and as far as being a member of the family, your wrong. He was nothing but a free-loader. How you ever saw him as a son, I'll never know. We'll fair much better without him," Oliver said.

Lisa sighed in defeat and placed a stack of hotcakes in front of her husband. As soon as he saw what she put in front of him, Oliver groaned.

"Ugh Lisa, when are you going to learn to make something worth eating, huh," he asked.

"Eb always liked my hotcakes," Lisa said defensively.

"I don't care what Eb liked, I care what I like. And I refuse to eat this slop any longer," he said as she pushed the plate away.

"Olivah," Lisa exclaimed incredulously.

"Don't Oliver me, I'm sick of your food. Learn to cook or don't cook at all!"

"Fine! Then I won't cook at all," Lisa cried, she threw down her apron and crossed her arms in front of her in determination. "From now on, cook your own meals or starve!"

At this outburst, Oliver's face turned red in anger. He took the plate of hotcakes and threw it to the floor at Lisa's feet, sending pieces of china flying everywhere, which nearly cut her ankles. Lisa jumped back quickly to avoid injury and stared at her husband with a mixture of anger and disbelief. But before she could say anything, Oliver turned around and stalked into the bedroom.

Lisa stood in shock for a few seconds before she grabbed a broom and began to sweep up the mess her husband made. She swept for a few minutes before throwing the broom down and bursting into tears.

But this time, her tears were different. Her tears were not from sorrow or self-pity or hopelessness like they were before. Instead, they were tears of anger and outrage. She was fed up with it all, fed up with the pain and the lies and the yelling and the sickness. She couldn't take it anymore.

Lisa decided right then and there that that was it. She was not going to take Oliver's attitude anymore. She was going to have a talk with him tomorrow. She was going to tell him all he was putting her through. She was going to tell him that he either changed his ways or she was going back to New York, once and for all.


	10. The Only Thing Left to Do

**The Douglas Farm**

The next day, instead of cooking her husband's meals or doing chores around the house, Lisa sat around and planned out exactly what she was going to say to Oliver when he got home from the fields. She had just about gotten everything down (or at least she hoped she had) when Oliver burst in through the front door and headed straight for the kitchen.

_Well, here goes nothing_, Lisa thought. She slowly counted to ten to calm her nerves and then headed into the kitchen after him. She found him sitting at his usual spot at the table stewing over a cup of coffee. She took a deep breathe and cleared her throat.

"Olivah, ve need to talk," she announced, breaking the silence in the small room.

"About what," Oliver demanded to know in a tense voice, his brows furrowed in confusion.

"Us…vell, no, that's not right, ve need to talk about you," she retorted.

"What about me," he asked in an irritated tone.

"Olivah, you know as vell as I do that something is the matter here. You've changed, and not for the better. You're not the same as I used to know you. I suggest ve have a long talk and try to figure out vot's going on," she replied. She searched his eyes for any sign that she was getting through to him, but she only saw the anger intensify.

"Lisa, you're crazy! I'm the same as I always was! And I'm far as I'm concerned, this conversation is over," Oliver exclaimed. He then jumped up from his seat and stormed out of the kitchen through the back door.

In pure anger and frustration, Lisa let out something like a growl and stormed off in the opposite direction to the bedroom. She felt like tearing the room to shreds, but instead, in her native tongue, she began ranting and releasing all that pent up hostility.

"I've tried everything," she exclaimed in Hungarian. "I've sacrificed, I've suffered, I've vaited, I've tried everything to get through to that man, but he just won't listen! He's so stubborn and foolish and full of pride and I'm sick of it!"

The ranting made her feel a bit better, but Lisa could still feel so much anger dwelling inside her. She needed to let it out somehow. Suddenly she spotted a solution. Through the crack in the slightly open dresser drawer next to her bed she could see the scrapbook; the scrapbook her and her friends had put together out of love and concern for Oliver, and what did he do? In his anger and stubbornness, he tossed it aside like it was nothing.

Lisa ran over to the dresser and yanked the drawer open. She then took the book out, flipped open to the first page, and ripped it to shreds. Page after page she continued this action until there was a pile of shredded paper at her feet and an empty book in her hands.

Exhausted and run out of anger, Lisa flopped on to the bed and cried her heart out. She was now genuinely out of ideas; there was nothing left to do but to pack up and leave. She had told herself that that was the last and only remaining step if the talking didn't work, but she realized now that couldn't do it. She simply couldn't do it. She still loved him so much it hurt, and she hated it. She hated that he could hurt her so badly but make her love him so much. She didn't know what to do.

Suddenly a knock at the closet interrupted her train of thought. She sat up in bed as she watched the closet door slide open and fall off the tracks, revealing Eb on the other side.

"Eb," she exclaimed happily.

"I told you I would come back to visit, Mom," Eb said with a smile. Too tired to get up, Lisa scooted over to the edge of the bed and motioned for Eb to take a seat next to her. Once he did, she enveloped him in a hug.

"Oh Eb, I'm so happy to see you," she said. "I need you now more than ever!"

"What wrong, Mom," he asked with concern. "Have you been crying?"

"And ranting and destroying things," she replied sadly. "Oh Eb, I tried to talk vith my husband like you said, but it all fell apart. I've tried everything and it all vent down the drain. I don't know vot to do anymore."

"I'm sorry things didn't work out, Mom, but maybe it's a sign that you should leave," he replied.

"Vot," Lisa exclaimed in surprise.

"Yeah, I think if he sees that your serious about leaving, he'll finally come to his senses," Eb explained.

"Vell, maybe…" she said hesitantly, not really liking the thought of leaving at all. "Vot if he lets me leave?"

"Then he isn't worth sticking around for," Eb replied wisely. Lisa thought about this for a few seconds and decided that Eb was right. If he was any kind of husband, he wouldn't dare let her leave.

"You're right, Eb," she said in a determined voice. "I'm going to show him that I'm not fooling around! No more Mrs. Nice Guy!" She jumped up from the bed to begin packing, but this sudden motion caused her weak and malnourished frame to become dizzy. She began to fall, but once again Eb jumped up and caught her. He gently sat her down on the edge of the bed again.

"Mom, if there was ever a time to leave, it would be now. You can't keep going on like this," he said. He opened his mouth to say more, but suddenly they heard the kitchen door swing open and slam shut.

"That's my husband," Lisa exclaimed. "You better go before he catches you in here!"

"Okay, but I'll come back, I promise," Eb said.

"I know you vill," Lisa replied with a smile. Eb returned the smile and hugged her quickly. He then turned around and ran out the closet; but instead of leaving, he crept over to the window and peeked in through one of the smudges, just to keep an eye out on Lisa and make sure she would be alright.

Meanwhile, Lisa quickly replaced the closet door and ran over to the other closet to grab her biggest suitcase. She had just placed it on the bed and began tossing dresses into it when Oliver walked in.

"What are you doing," he asked as soon as he spotted her.

"I'm leaving," she replied evenly.

"Leaving," Oliver exclaimed. "Why!"

"I can't live like this any longer. It's killing me. I have to get out of here," she replied as she finished packing her various outfits. Now all she needed was shoes and personal belongings and she was out of there. She turned around and was about to head over to the bureau to get her jewelry when Oliver grabbed a hold of her.

"Where will you go," he demanded to know.

"Does it matter," she retorted bitingly.

"Of course it matters, you're my wife," he exclaimed.

"Am I? Because it sure doesn't seem like it anymore," she replied. She was about to walk away again, but Oliver tightened his hold on her. He pushed her back roughly to where she was standing.

"Look, you are my wife and I am your husband, and as your husband I say you aren't going anywhere. Do you hear me," he exclaimed as he shook her more violently than he meant to. Not being able to stand it any longer, Eb jumped up from his hiding spot and burst into the bedroom.

"Let her go," he commanded in a loud voice. Out of surprise, Oliver did let Lisa go, but unfortunately at the wrong moment. The combination of being shaken and Oliver's foot being in the way sent her flying backwards toward the ground. She was able to turn on her side and put her hands out before hitting her head on the cement floor, but nothing could change the fact that her own husband had just caused her violent tumble to the ground. A stunned silence followed.

Before Oliver had a chance to make amends for his actions, Eb rushed over to Lisa's side and helped her to her feet. He then placed himself between an angry Oliver and a stunned Lisa.

"What do you think you're doing," Oliver demanded to know. When Eb didn't answer, Oliver attempted to take a step towards his wife, but Eb outstretched his arms, creating an even bigger block between them.

"Don't get anywhere near her," Eb commanded in a tense, serious voice. "I don't want to hurt you, Mr. Douglas, but I will if I have to." Oliver's mouth hung open in shock.

"Who are you to tell me to not get anywhere near _my_ wife," he exclaimed incredulously. "Now get out of my way!"

"NO," Eb yelled. Oliver attempted to go around him again, but Eb refused to let his guard down.

"This is ridiculous! It was an accident! Lisa, tell him…" he began to say, but she interrupted him.

"Oliver, maybe it would be best you just stayed away," she said sadly. Unbeknownst to anyone else, a deep hurt passed through Oliver, but his pride refused to let it show. Instead he threw his hands up in frustration.

"Fine," he exclaimed. If that's the way you want it, I'll be on the phone, calling the sheriff to have Eb escorted off the property!" Seeing that he wasn't going to be able to go past Eb at all, Oliver spun on his heel and headed out through the front door to go around the house and call the sheriff.

"Eb, maybe you better go before he gets the chance to call," Lisa said sadly. Eb turned around and managed a small smile.

"No, Mom. I'm staying right here as long as you need me. After all, you need someone to take care of you."

"I'm fine, really," Lisa replied, putting on a brave face. Besides, if the sheriff…" Lisa began, but Eb cut her off.

"I don't care. I love you, Mom, and I don't want or would never let anything happen to you," Eb replied.

"Oh Eb, I love you too," she replied. Not able to hold it in any longer, Lisa burst into tears. Feeling his own tears coming, Eb enveloped his "mom" in a hug and held her, as if it was the last time he would ever get to hug her again. Suddenly, his own tears began to spill over his eyes when he realized it probably would be.

Well, so much for not over-dramatizing. Oh well! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the latest installment! Reviews would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!


	11. The Accident

**The Douglas Farm**

Lisa put the last of her belongings in one of the two suitcases she planned to take in her desperate flee from her current situation. But as she closed the lid, she began having second thoughts. She turned to Eb, who was sitting at the edge of the bed waiting for her.

"Eb, what if this isn't such a good idea," she said.

"It is a good idea, mom," he insisted as he stood up and faced her.

"But what if he…" she began to say, but Eb cut her off.

"Mom, you can't concern yourself with Mr. Douglas right now. He's not in his right mind. What you need to think about is you. If you stay here, either his temper will get worse or you'll get sicker, and I won't let the happen. Believe me, this is for the best," he said with a reassuring smile. Lisa managed a small smile in return.

"Oh Eb, I just love him so," she said as a fresh batch of tears spilled over her eyes. Eb enveloped her in a hug.

"I know," was all he could manage to say. "I know…"

Meanwhile, on top of the pole, Oliver commanded Sara, the town receptionist, to ring for the sheriff again and again, but it was to no avail. The sheriff refused to answer.

"Where's that stupid sheriff when you need him," he muttered as he made an angry decent down the pole.

"Well if the sheriff won't help me, I'll just have to take the law into my own hands," Oliver resolved as he burst into the bedroom.

"Alright Eb," he yelled before anyone could say anything, "I've told you time and time again to get off this property and you _still_ keep coming back. Well, now I'm going to make sure you get out and stay out once and for all!"

Oliver then proceeded to storm over to Eb and grab him violently by his forearm. Then without hesitation he pulled him out of the closet door and around to the front of the house. Lisa quickly followed with her suitcases in her hands.

"Now get out," Oliver demanded as he roughly let go of Eb's arm. Eb stumbled for a second or two, but quickly regained his footing and planted his feet firmly on the ground.

"No," Eb bit back.

"What," Oliver exclaimed in disbelief.

"I said no! I'm not leaving you here alone with Mrs. Douglas just so you can hurt her some more," he retorted. Lisa gave him a smile of gratitude.

"Eb, this is my property and I said get off," Oliver yelled.

"No," Eb replied once again. "Either I stay or both Mrs. Douglas and I leave!"

"That's ridiculous! My wife would never leave with you," Oliver cried.

"Think again, Olivah," Lisa chimed in as she picked up her suitcases and joined Eb's side.

"Lisa, stop being foolish and get back here this instant," Oliver commanded. He attempted to grab her arm and pull her back, but Lisa retracted her arm away from his grasp forcefully.

"No Olivah, I won't. I've told you I can't live this way any longer. I have to go," she said in a steady voice. "Come on, Eb," she said as she turned around with her suitcases in her hand. Then without so much as a look behind her, Lisa loaded her suitcases next to Eb's and climbed into the passenger's side of the truck.

"Lisa! Lisa, you get back here, right now!" Oliver demanded. He took a step forward towards the truck, but Eb blocked his way.

"No Mr. Douglas, you had your chance. Now she's doing what's best for her, for the both of you," he said. He then turned around and walked to the truck.

"Lisa," Oliver continued to call.

"I warned you, Mr. Douglas," Eb said over his shoulders as he climbed into the truck and started up the engine. Then, before Oliver had a chance to go after Lisa again, Eb pulled out and drove away. Oliver just stood alone in front of the house, not able to believe what just took place.

**Downtown Pixley, the very next day**

Lisa sat at the window sill in the hotel she and Eb were currently staying at, looking forlornly at the view she had of downtown Pixley. It would only be a couple of more days until Eb took his new position as a hired hand on another farm and she would be on a plane heading back to New York to stay with her mother-in-law. She couldn't believe that things had had to go so far.

A single tear rolled down her cheek, but Lisa quickly wiped it away. She resolved that she was done crying. She had done nothing wrong and she knew it. Therefore, there was no reason to cry.

_Except for the loss of your love, _Lisa heard her heart say. Despite her best effort, another tear slipped slowly down her cheek.

Suddenly she heard a soft knock at her door. "Come in," she called out as she quickly wiped the tear away. She heard the door open and turned just in time to see Eb slip through it and quietly close it behind him.

"How you doing, Mrs. Douglas," he asked gently.

"Just fine Eb, thank you. The room is very comfortable," she said as she gave him a weak smile.

"I don't mean the room, Mrs. Douglas," he said as he sat down on a nearby chair. "How are _you _doing," he asked pointedly, his eyes full of concern.

"I've been better," she said sadly. Another tear came rolling down her cheek.

"Oh mom, please don't cry. I've told you, you have nothing to cry about," Eb said.

"I let him go," Lisa said into the window, as if she hadn't heard a word Eb said.

"You didn't let him go," Eb retorted.

"I pushed him avay," Lisa said once more into the window.

"Now Mrs. Douglas, you stop that," Eb said as he jumped up from his chair and knelt down beside her. He took her hand and forced her to look into his eyes.

"You're not to blame. It's your husband who let things get this far. He's just not in his right mind right now. Give it some time and he'll come back to you. But right now, all you need to worry about is yourself."

Lisa smiled tenderly at him. "I know Eb. I know, but it's just so hard…"

Her words trailed off as she fixed her gaze at something out the window. Eb followed her gaze and saw Oliver walking down the busy streets of Pixley with a sour look on his face.

"I have to go to him," Lisa said suddenly as she leapt up from the window sill, nearly knocking Eb over in the process.

"But Mrs. Douglas…" Eb began to say, but she cut him off.

"Eb, I know I shouldn't, but I just can't leave vithout talking to him at least vone more time. I just can't," she said as she quickly put on her shoes and coat.

"But Mrs. Douglas…" Eb tried again, but Lisa wouldn't listen.

"I promise I'll only give him vone more chance and if he doesn't except it, I'll leave. Just vone more chance," she repeated. And with that, Lisa was out the door, leaving a stunned Eb behind.

**Auto Parts Shop, a couple of blocks away**

Lisa followed her husband a few blocks before she was finally able to corner him in an auto parts store. She paused a few steps away and took a deep breathe.

"Give me strength," she whispered into the air. She then put on a look of determination and headed straight for her husband.

"Olivah," she called out just before she reached his side, causing Oliver to turn around. His eyes turned as wide as saucers when he caught sight of her.

"Lisa! What are you doing…" he began to ask, but she cut him off.

"Olivah, we need to talk," she announced. "Follow me." She turned around and headed toward a more secluded corner in the store, with Oliver closely at her heels.

"Lisa, what's this about," he asked, sounded irritated as usual.

"Olivah, I've tried again and again to talk to you about us and you just cut me off! Vell, now you're going to listen! I'm leaving, Olivah. I'm going back to New York to stay with your mother."

"You can't just…" Oliver began to say, but Lisa quickly cut him off again.

"I said you vere going to listen," she said forcefully. Oliver's mouth stayed agape in shock for a few seconds more, but he soon closed it and stayed silent.

"Olivah, these past few months vith you have been unbearable. You've been cruel to others around you, you've neglected me, and you've abused both Eb and me. I can't stand it anymore. I'm tired of lying for you to our friends, making excuses for your behavior, and fooling myself by saying that you'll change. So it's time you made a decision. Unless you promise me that you'll make a serious commitment to changing back to the vay you used to be, I'm going back to New York and I may never come back." She concluded this statement by crossing her arms and giving him a determined glare.

Oliver was stunned. He had never seen his wife so abrupt and forceful before. He was about to open his mouth and try to calm her down, but he looked about him and saw several people giving him odd looks. Embarrassment flowed through him, so instead of apologizing, he let his pride do the talking.

"Lisa, please, you're embarrassing me," was all he managed to say. Lisa's eyes grew wide with shock.

"Is that all you have to say," she asked incredulously. "Didn't you hear me? I'm leaving," she said with extra emphasis.

"Lisa, for goodness sake, lower your voice! Everybody's staring," he snapped at her.

"I can't believe that's all your concerned about," Lisa said in a disappointed voice.

"Come on, we can talk about this somewhere else," Oliver continued as if he hadn't heard her. He put his hand on her arm to lead her outside, but Lisa quickly yanked it away.

"No Olivah! This time this really vas the last straw. If all you care about is your stupid pride, then I'm leaving," she said as she looked his straight in the eye.

"You can't be serious," he said as he searched her eyes for some clue that she was bluffing, but all he saw in them was determination.

"Goodbye, Olivah," she said. She then spun on her heel and began to stalk out of the store.

"Lisa! Lisa, come back here," Oliver called after her, but she didn't turn around. He had to think of something quick. "But Lisa, don't you love me anymore," he cried. To his relief, this stopped Lisa dead in her tracks. She slowly turned around and looked at him with a watery yet resolved look.

"I do love you," she said in a slightly shaky voice, "but I don't want to hurt anymore." And with that final word, she walked out of the store and out of his life.

It wasn't until she was clearly out of the store that Lisa let the tears fall from her eyes. Apparently leaving would prove more painful than she thought, but she knew it had to be done. Still, tears fell from her eyes as if they would never stop. With her head hung low, she began making her way back to her hotel.

Lisa was so blinded by tears that she didn't notice that she hadn't even bothered to make sure no cars were coming before she crossed the street until it was too late. She heard a great commotion and looked up just in time to see a giant delivery truck barreling towards her at full speed. Panic flooded through her as she realized that there was no way she would be able to run fast enough to elude the truck's impact. Lisa could do nothing but shut her eyes and wait.

Meanwhile, Oliver stood frozen to his spot in the auto parts store, still not believing what had taken place. All the things Lisa had said to him still rang in his ears. He tried hard to push them aside, but deep down something was telling him that all she said was true.

Suddenly Eb's words rang in Oliver's ears like a warning bell. _Mark my words, if you don't change back to your old ways soon you're going to lose her, one way or another, _he heard him say. Oliver knew he couldn't let that happen. He dropped whatever he was holding in his hand and ran out the store in pursuit of Lisa, praying that he wasn't too late.

Oliver stepped out of the store just in time to see his wife standing in the middle of the road seemingly frozen.

_What is she doing,_ he wondered, but he didn't have to wonder for long. Oliver's heart nearly stopped when he followed Lisa's terrified gaze to a large truck heading straight for her.

"Lisa," he called out in fear. He began running as fast as his legs would carry him towards her, but with the crowd and the distance between them, he knew he would never make it in time to save her. The most fear Oliver had ever felt in his life gripped his heart when he realized he could only stand by and watch his own wife's death.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a tall figure he recognized as Eb came out of the opposite side of the street and ran right across the path of the truck. He grabbed Lisa by the hand and pulled her away just before the truck ran over the spot she once stood at. Both of them slammed into the sidewalk on the other side.

Oliver let out the breath he didn't know he had been holding and ran over to their sides. He kneeled down beside Lisa and helped her sit up a bit.

"Lisa, are you alright," he asked.

"I think so," she replied. She winced, however, when she tried to lean on her right hand to support herself. "My wrist," she said as she held it up with her left hand gently. Oliver could see that it was swelling up to twice its normal size already.

"Come on Lisa, we have to get you to a hospital," Oliver said as he began to help her up, but as she was getting up, she spotted Eb lying unconscious a few feet away from her.

"Eb," she cried as she hobbled over to his side. She gently shook him to wake him up, but he refused to open his eyes.

"Eb! Eb, please vake up! Eb, speak to me! Eb," Lisa said as tears of fear welled up in her eyes. "Olivah, he's not vaking up," she said to him in a shaky voice.

"He must have hit his head when he fell. We have to get him to a hospital fast," Oliver said, his eyes full of concern. Then, with the help of a few concerned citizens that had gathered around after the accident, Oliver carried Eb over to his car and gently laid him in back seat. After helping Lisa in the car, he sped off to the Pixley emergency hospital, all the while praying that the person who saved his wife would be alright.


	12. Everything's Fine

**The Pixley Emergency Hospital**

One hour later, Lisa and Oliver were standing in Eb's private room as the doctor explained their hired hand's situation.

"Eb hit his head pretty hard, Mr. and Mrs. Douglas," he said as he looked over Eb's medical charts. "But we can't be sure how severe the damage is until his x-ray results come back."

"Vhen vill Eb vake up," Lisa asked as tears brimmed her eyes.

"That also depends on the severity of the situation," the doctor replied.

"Oh dear," Lisa said as she looked over her shoulder and gazed sadly at Eb.

"Don't worry, Mrs. Douglas. Eb is a strong young man. There is no reason why he shouldn't be alright," the doctor said in an attempt to comfort her, but fear was still evident in Lisa's eyes. Oliver put an arm around her shoulder in a comforting motion.

"Thank you very much, doctor," Oliver said with a slight smile.

"Your welcome, Mr. Douglas. I'll be back with the results of Eb's tests shortly." And with that last note, the doctor walked out of Eb's room.

As soon as the doctor was gone, Lisa removed her self from Oliver's grasp and took a seat by Eb's bedside. Oliver sighed and sat on the couch at the opposite side of the room. Obviously she still hadn't forgotten how mad she was at him.

Ever since they arrived at the hospital, Lisa was adamant on not taking to her husband beyond what was necessary. Even when they were bandaging up her sprained right wrist, she wouldn't answer his questions of concern with anything longer than two word responses. She hadn't spoken a word to him since.

_I guess I deserve it, _Oliver thought sadly. _No, that's not right. I _know _I deserve it._

During the silent trip to the hospital, Oliver had the opportunity to review all the horrible things he had done to his wife and friends in the past couple of months, and as he did, a tremendous pang of guilt would wash over him. He couldn't believe the things he had said or done to the people he cared for.

_Whatever possessed me to treat my friends that way,_ he asked himself. _Whatever possessed me to treat my own _wife _that way?_

He looked over at Lisa with sad eyes. He hadn't noticed before how much thinner and paler she had become. She looked so sad and vulnerable.

_I did that to her, _Oliver thought. _Me and my foolish pride._

Oliver couldn't believe he had let things get that far. He knew how much he loved her and needed her, yet he pushed her to the point of leaving him. Why had he done that? He just couldn't understand.

Oliver's thoughts were interrupted when he began to hear quiet sobs. He looked over at Lisa to see tears trickling down her cheeks. She was whispering something to Eb, but Oliver couldn't quite make out what it was. He leaned in a little and listened hard. After awhile, he began to understand what she was saying.

"Oh Eb," Oliver heard Lisa say, "You have to wake up; you just have to. You can't leave me alone. Please, please don't leave me alone."

The guilt Oliver felt increased ten fold at those words. He knew he was the reason his wife felt so alone at that moment.

_I have to apologize to her right now, _Oliver thought. _I have to set things right between us again. But what could I say to make her understand the guilt I feel?_

Oliver stood up and sauntered over to Lisa's side with his hands in his pockets. He still wasn't quiet sure what to say, but he still had to try.

"Um, is your wrist okay," he asked her.

"Fine, thank you," Lisa responded coldly without looking at him. Oliver winced. _Boy, am I off to a great start, _Oliver thought sarcastically. He cleared his throat and tried again.

"I hope Eb is going to be alright," he said. "I would never forgive myself if something bad happened to the man I owe everything to."

"Vot do you mean," Lisa replied, his words obviously sparking her interest. Oliver's confidence boosted a bit at the fact that he caught her attention as he continued.

"Well, he saved your life and you mean everything to me. Therefore, I owe him a great deal," Oliver explained.

"It hasn't seemed like I mean everything to you lately," Lisa replied.

"I know, Lisa and I'm sorry," Oliver apologized. He looked at Lisa expectedly, but she didn't move an inch. Obviously it was going to take more than a little apology to bring her back to him. Oliver walked over to the front of her chair and knelt down in front of her.

"Lisa," he said as he gently turned her face so that they were staring into each other's eyes, "I truly am sorry. I really am. I've been an idiot. I let my stupid pride blind me from the fact that I was hurting the person I loved most in the world. And I know I don't deserve your forgiveness and I'm not asking for it. I just want to let you know that I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry," Oliver said, his voice cracking with emotion. He then got up from in front of Lisa and turned away from her, knowing that if he looked at her any longer, he would lose all control.

"I don't deserve you anymore, Lisa. I really don't. Therefore, I'm going to go back to the farm and pack the rest of your things. I'll call New York and rent out a nice penthouse for you, where you can be happy and far away from me," Oliver said as a couple of tears slid down his cheeks. He turned around and headed for the door. He was about to open it when he heard his name called.

"Olivah," Lisa cried as she jumped up from her chair. Oliver turned around and looked at her questioningly. Lisa stared at him for a second, but then rushed over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. Oliver stood stunned for a second, but then gladly wrapped his arms around her waist and held her close.

"Olivah," Lisa said into his neck, "I don't want you to leave! You can't leave!"

"But Lisa, I hurt you so…" Oliver began to say, but she cut him off.

"I know, I know, but I still love you. And I hate it. I hate that you can hurt me but still make me love you so much, and I do," she cried.

"Oh Lisa," Oliver said sadly. "I'm so, so sorry. I promise I'll make things better. I promise."

"Oh Olivah, I love you," Lisa said as she looked into his eyes.

"I love you too," he replied. "And it was foolish of me to assume that you knew how I felt. The truth is I love you more than anything and you mean everything to me."

Oliver then bent down and kissed Lisa passionately, trying to show her the strong feelings he had for her.

Suddenly, their kiss was interrupted by a small groan. They both turned around to find Eb stirring in his bed. His eyes fluttered for a second and then opened.

"What happened," he asked.

"Eb," Oliver and Lisa exclaimed simultaneously. They rushed over to his bedside and bent down by him.

"Oh Eb, your avake," Lisa said as tears of joy streamed down her cheeks.

"You had us worried there for a second," Oliver said with a smile. Eb looked over at Oliver and glared at him.

"What are _you _doing here," Eb asked in a seething voice. Oliver frowned with a hurt look in his eyes.

"Oh Eb, it's alright," Lisa said. "Mr. Douglas is back to normal. Everything's fine," she said happily. Eb glared at Oliver for a second more, but then his look softened and extended his hand.

"Good to have you back, dad," he said with a smile.

"It's good to be back," Oliver replied as he took Eb's hand and shook it warmly. "Son," he added. Eb and Lisa's eyes widened with delighted surprise. Suddenly the doctor walked in.

"Well, I'm glad to see somebody's awake," he said with a smile. He quickly checked Eb's vital signs.

"Well, everything is just fine Eb, just fine. Your vitals are normal and your x-rays just came out of the lab with not a scratch on them. You can go home with your friends later tonight," the doctor explained. He was about to walk out the door when Oliver stopped him.

"Thank you for everything doctor, but you made a mistake," he said. "We're not his friends." Oliver looked down at Eb and Lisa with a fond smile.

"We're his family."


	13. The Date

**The Douglas Farm**

About a week later, Oliver was standing in the middle of his living room, anxiously waiting for Lisa to be ready for their big evening. He had worked hard on a special surprise for her and he just couldn't wait to show her.

"Are you almost ready, dear," he called out to her.

"I'll be there in a minute, dahling," she called back. Oliver sighed in excited impatience and resorted to pacing around the living room. At least the extra time would give him a minute to reflect.

Boy, it certainly had been a hectic first few days after Eb and Lisa's return home, but finally everything seemed to be returning back to normal. Lisa's sprained wrist was finally healed, Eb was able to remove his bandages, and they were all back on the farm where they belonged. To Oliver, everything was the way it was just supposed to be.

_Better than normal,_ Oliver thought. _Everything's perfect._ A lot had changed since they all arrived home back from the hospital, even if it had only been a week.

The first and foremost biggest change was the fact that Oliver was no longer the angry, tense person he had been before the dreadful accident. He had come to realize quickly that his farm would always be there when he wanted to be, but the life of a person was very fragile and could be snatched away at the blink of an eye. He now knew that every moment with his beloved wife and loyal friends were precious, and should not be taken for granted. Therefore, he resolved to not waste his time and energy on losing his temper with them, but instead laugh with them and enjoy their company for as long as he could.

This in turn led to even greater changes around the Hooterville valley. Due to the disappearance of Oliver's nasty temper, everyone seemed to be much more at ease than before, especially the residence of the Douglas Farm. Oliver, Lisa, and Eb were much closer and Oliver enjoyed the company of his friends much more than he had before. For the first time in a long time, everyone seemed genuinely happy.

_I never realized how destructive my attitude had been, _Oliver thought as the serene look that had been on his face a second ago gave way to a troubled frown. _Because of my foolish actions, everyone I cared about suffered._

It pained Oliver greatly every time he rethought that, which had happened a lot in the past couple of days. He still couldn't believe he had been that blind to his own actions. And it almost cost the loss of all his dear friends and even worse, his own wife. Fear rose up in him as it did every time he thought of how easily things could have gone differently. Why, if Eb hadn't arrived at just the moment he did, Lisa could have been…

Oliver shook his head violent as if to clear himself of those thoughts. He knew he would have to come to terms with what nearly took place sometime, but not tonight. Tonight, he just wanted to be with the woman he loved.

_Speaking of which, _he thought as he glanced at his watch.

"Lisa," he called out once more.

"Yes, dahling," he heard someone her say from behind him. He jumped a little in surprise and turned around to face her.

"Honey, I…" Oliver began to say, but as soon as he caught sight of her, he was at a loss for words. She was wearing an elegant pink evening gown that seemed as if it was made for her. Her hair was swept up delicately on top of her head and the elegant diamonds she was wearing seemed to give her a heavenly glow. She looked incredible.

"Lisa," he said in a sort of breathless tone, "you look absolutely beautiful." Lisa beamed.

"Thank you, dahling! And you look very handsome as well," she replied. She grabbed her fur coat that was lying on the sofa and walked over to Oliver's side.

"Shall we go," she asked him.

"Um….yes, yes we shall," Oliver replied, still captivated by her appearance. Still not able to take his eyes of her, he offered her his arm and led her out the front door.

As Lisa began to head toward the car, Oliver gently led her away from it.

"Olivah, vhere are ve going," she asked, confused.

"You'll see," was his only reply. Lisa looked at him warily, but followed him anyway. Before she knew it they were standing in front of the barn.

"Vot are ve doing at the barn," she asked.

"Close your eyes, I have a surprise for you," Oliver replied.

"Vot kind of a surprise," Lisa asked, still unsure of the situation.

"Lisa, please just close your eyes for me," Oliver pleaded with her. Lisa hesitated for a second, but decided to humor him and close her eyes. Oliver took her gently by both hand and led her into the barn.

"Okay, open your eyes," he told her. As soon as she did, she gasped in surprise and delight. Before her, the barn had been emptied and set up to look like an elegant restaurant (or as elegant as a restaurant can be in a barn). There were beautiful satin drapes hanging from the walls to cover the tools and such, and in the middle of the barn there was a lovely floor rug with a small, intimate table set for two atop of it. The table was covered with an elegant silk table cloth and candles, fine china, wine, and a single rose adorned the top of it.

"Oh Olivah," she said incredulously. "This is beautiful!"

"You like it," Oliver asked. "I wanted this night to be with just the two of us," he explained. Just then, Eb walked in wearing a very fancy butler suit.

"Good evening," he said with a thick, over-exaggerated French accent. "I am Pierre and I will be your head waiter this evening. Follow me to your table. This way," he said as he walked over to the table with Lisa and Oliver following closely behind. Oliver was about to escort Lisa to her seat, when Eb interrupted him.

"Madame," he said as he offered her his arm. Lisa smiled and took it. He guided her over to her seat and held the chair out for her.

"Thank you, Pierre," Lisa said with a slight giggle. Oliver smiled at Eb and took the seat across from her. Eb slapped around a napkin for show and hung it from his arm in a waiter's fashion.

"Tonight's meal will include caviar, Lobster Newberg, shrimp cocktail, white wine, and for dessert, chocolate mousse," he announced. "Dinner will be served momentarily." Eb then took an exaggerated bow and exited the barn.

"Crazy kid," Oliver said good-naturedly with a smile. Lisa giggled.

"Dinner sounds delicious, however," she replied. "How did you ever set this up?"

"It took some doing," Oliver admitted, "but I wanted the best for you tonight. My only regret now is that no one but I will get to see how beautiful you look."

"Oh Olivah," she said with a shy smile. Oliver smiled lovingly in return. He was about to open his mouth and say something, but just then, Eb reappeared.

"Dinner is served," he announced, still in a thick French accent, as he balanced two trays in his hands. He placed one in front of Lisa and the other in front of Oliver and lifted the lids simultaneously.

"Voila," he exclaimed as he revealed the delicious looking entrees he had promised before.

"Oh Eb, this looks delicious," Lisa gushed.

"Thanks," Eb replied, momentarily losing his accent. "Uh, I mean, thank you, Madame," he amended himself as he thick accent returned. He quickly poured the wine and exited the barn, knowing well in advanced that Oliver desired to be alone with his wife.

"Vell, vot shall ve to toast to," Lisa asked as she raised her glass. Oliver thought for a second.

"To new beginnings," he finally said, "and to undying love." He raised his glass and clinked it with hers. Lisa smiled.

"To undying love," she said. She was about to take a sip, but Oliver stopped her.

"Oh, wait a minute," he said. He reached over the table and looped his arm with Lisa's. Lisa grinned and together they took a sip out of their respective glances. After the toast was finished, Oliver leaned over the table and gave Lisa a gentle kiss.

"I love you," he said as he sat back down.

"I love you too," she replied. For a moment they just sat there and looked into each others eyes, saying nothing but communicating a million emotions nonetheless.

The rest of the meal went on splendidly. Oliver and Lisa talked and talked the night away as if they hadn't spoken to each other in years. They shared everything they had neglected to in the past couple of months; and for the first time in quite some time, both truly felt connected to each other. Oliver never wanted this evening to end.

_But the sooner dinner is over, the sooner I can give her her next surprise, _Oliver thought excitedly. He couldn't wait to show her and Eb what he had in store for them, but he was sure it was something that would change all of their lives forever.


	14. Surprise, Surprise

Warning: This chapter is labeled under the category, FOF, or in other words, Full of Fluff!

**

* * *

The Douglas Farm**

Oliver stared at Lisa and waited anxiously as she savored the last bite of the chocolate mousse they had had for dessert. Finally, as she swallowed her last bite and put her fork down, he couldn't contain his excitement anymore. He leapt out of his chair and nearly knocked it over in the process.

"I have a surprise for you," he said quickly as he tried to regain his composure. Lisa's eyes lit up with excitement.

"Really? Vot it it," she asked.

"Yeah dad, what is it," Oliver heard a voice ask him from behind. He turned to see Eb entering the barn wheeling a small cart, obviously prepared to clear the table for them.

"You'll see," Oliver told the both of them with a mysterious smile on his face. He then rushed past Eb and out of the barn to go retrieve it. Both Eb and Lisa looked after him with skeptical looks on their faces before shrugging and returning to what they were doing.

It wasn't until Eb was done clearing the table that Oliver returned with a square package wrapped in beautiful gift paper.

"I'll just get out of your way," Eb said as he began to wheel the cart with the used china out, but Oliver stopped him.

"No, no Eb, don't go," he said. "This gift is for you too."

"Really," Eb asked with child like excitement.

"Yes," Oliver replied with a smile. "Here, take a seat." Oliver pulled out the chair he had been sitting in across from Lisa and ushered Eb into it. Eb sat down and watched as Lisa began unwrapping her gift. She tried to tear off the lovely wrapping paper as carefully as possible; therefore it took her some time to reveal the gift. But once she finally did, she sat staring at it in awed silence, for inside the beautiful wrapping paper was an even more beautiful gift.

It was a jewelry box, made out of the finest wood she had ever seen. It was dark brown in color and had intricate hand-carved designs all along it. On the top of the lid, her name was carved beautiful in fine cursive. She slowly opened it to reveal a velvet lined interior and several compartments to store her many jewels safely. All together it was simply breath-taking.

"I had it made especially for you, my love," Oliver explained. "Do you like it?"

"Like it," Lisa asked in astonishment. "Olivah, I love it! It's one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen!"

"Obviously you haven't looked in a mirror in a while," Oliver responded sweetly. Lisa smiled in a flattered manner.

"Oh Olivah," she said as her cheeks turned a lovely shade of pink. Oliver smiled in return.

"And you haven't seen the best part yet," he said excitedly. "I had them add something special for you. Look on the inside of the lid."

Lisa picked up the box and held it more towards the candlelight to view the inside of the lid. She was surprised to find writing in it.

"Read it out loud," Oliver requested. Lisa cleared her throat and began to read.

"And lo, the beast looked upon the face of beauty, and beauty stayed his hand. And from that day forward, he was as one dead." Lisa looked up at him in a slightly confused manner.

"Dahling, that's beautiful, but vot does it mean," she asked.

"It's a reminder of what you did for me. You killed the beasts that dwelled within me, the beasts that made me think that this farm was more important than you. You saved me from myself, Lisa, and I don't ever want you, or myself, to forget it," he explained.

"Oh Olivah," was all she could manage to say. Tears of joy began to form in her eyes.

"Now, just a minute. Before you start getting all teary-eyed, there's one more thing you have to see. Then you can feel free to cry," he said with a smile. "Read the bottom of the box."

Lisa moved around the compartments in the box and peered inside to see more writing on the inside. She sniffled slightly and began to read.

"To my dahling Lisa. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach, when feeling out of sight. For the ends of Being and ideal Grace. I love thee to the level of everyday's most quiet need, by sun and candlelight. I love thee freely, as men strive for Right; I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise. I love thee with the passion put to use in my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith. I love thee with a love I seemed to lose with my lost saints. I love thee with the breath, smiles, tears, of all my life and, if God choose, I shall but love thee better after death."

Lisa could no longer contain the tears brimming in her eyes. They began to fall freely as Oliver walked over to her side and leaned down beside her.

"Lisa, I made the grave mistake of just assuming that you knew how much I loved you. I promise I won't let that happen again. And if ever I forget to remind you, or if ever you can't feel my love, I want you to read this box and know that these words will hang true until the end of time," Oliver said to her. Lisa stared at him for a while, speechless and overwhelmed with her emotions. Finally she spoke.

"Oh dahling, I love you so much," she said as she threw her arms around him. "With all that I am."

"I love you too," Oliver said seriously, reveling in the feeling of her in his arms. Finally after a few seconds they pulled apart and Lisa wiped away the tears from her eyes.

"There's just one more thing," Oliver confessed. "But this surprise is more for Eb than anyone."

"It is," Eb, who had been watching the scene it sentimental silence, said as he straightened up in his chair.

"Yes, uh, darling, would you remove the bottom of that box please," Oliver asked Lisa. Lisa pulled the box toward her and gently removed the bottom of it, revealing it to be a false bottom. Her eyes grew wide with surprise as she reached in and removed a document.

"Thank you," Oliver said as he took it from her. He smiled and handed them over to Eb. Eb looked at him questioningly.

"Go ahead, open it," Oliver prodded. Eb shrugged in compliment and unfolded the document.

"Read it," Oliver said.

"This hereby certifies that on this day Eb Dawson officially of the family of Mr. and Mrs. Oliver Wendell Douglas, and hereby certifies him as their legal son," he read in disbelief. Eb looked up at Oliver for assurance, his eyes as wide as saucers.

"See, it's signed by a judge, a notary public, and me. It's all official," Oliver explained with pleasure.

"Oh Olivah, do you really mean it," Lisa asked as she leapt up from her seat and joined Eb's side to look at the document. Oliver nodded.

"Yes darling, I really do. We now officially have a son!"

Eb stood sitting perfectly still for a few more moments, still not able to believe that his dream of belonging to this family had actually come true. Finally, he got up slowly and walked over to the front of the Douglas's and stared at them for a second more. Not able to contain himself any longer, he threw his arms around them both and began to cry softly.

"Oh thank you so much," he said softly. "Thank you."

"The pleasure was all ours," Oliver responded as he hugged Eb back. He looked over to his wife and was delighted to find her weeping with joy. The new family stood holding each other fondly for a brief moment until Eb pulled away and began to run out of the barn hurriedly.

"Eb, where are you going," Oliver asked.

"To Drucker's store," Eb responded. "Maybe if I get there in time, he'll put out an extra in the morning paper." And with that, Eb ran off. Oliver and Lisa laughed.

"Oh Olivah, you made him so happy," she said with a joyous sigh. Oliver kissed her softly on the cheek and wrapped his arm around her waist.

"I'm glad," he said happily. "Come on, let's get to bed."

"And vot do you propose we do there, Mr. Douglas," Lisa asked teasingly. Oliver smiled coyly.

"I can think of a few things," he responded. He bent down toward her and softly kissed her lips. Then, completely neglecting the mess they had in the barn, Oliver and Lisa happily went off to bed.

* * *

Alright, alright, I know I'm a sap for throwing those two quotes in there, but I couldn't help it! They are so beautiful and I always wanted to use them, so I just did! Please forgive me! Ha ha! Anyway, so again for the delays and I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please keeping reading and reviews are greatly appreciated! Thank you! 


	15. The Toasts

Warning: This is going to be a short ending because I couldn't really go anywhere else with it. But I hope you enjoy it all the same!

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* * *

The Douglas Farm**

A couple of days later, all the regular residents of Hooterville gathered in the Douglas barn for a small, intimate party celebrating the return of the old Oliver, the safe return of Lisa, and the healing and adopting of Eb. Hours dourves and drinks were served and lively music played out of a juke box. People ate, danced, talked and laughed, and everyone was obviously having a marvelous time.

About three hours into the party, Oliver set up a couple of crates in the middle of the barn and carefully stood upon them. He raised his champagne glass and tapped it with his fork until he had everyone's attention.

"Hello, everyone," he called out. "Um, before the night ends, I would like a make a few toasts to the people who are most important in my life." He cleared his throat slightly before continuing.

"First, I would like to toast all of you, my friends. I know I've always made those long-winded speeches about how city people can't compare to farm people…"

"Boy, do you ever," Mr. Ziffel said sarcastically, causing a ripple of laughter from the crowd. Oliver chuckled.

"Well, this is probably going to sound like one of the speeches, but I needed to let you know that I really do mean it when I say farm people are different from city people. In the city, I didn't have a large circle of friends like I do here. I couldn't, everyone was always so wrapped in their careers and the rat race of the city. But here, here people actually cared about other people. Here I feel that you people just aren't my neighbors, but dear friends, and even members of my family."

"What I'm trying to say is I've never had such close friends as all of you are to me, and I truly don't know what I would do without your friendship. I greatly appreciate it." An embarrassed but sentimental silence fell over the crowd, so Oliver decided to move on.

"Next I would like to make a toast to my lovely wife Lisa. My wife who has managed to mispronounce every word in the English language, who has managed to break every piece of dishware we own, and who has probably the least domestic talent out of anyone I know," Oliver said to her with a fond smile. The crowd laughed and Lisa smiled sheepishly.

"But in spite of all this, or perhaps even because of it, I love her more than the day I married her. And even after all these years, her beauty, kind heart, and all together loveliness still manage to amaze me every day. I love you, Lisa."

"I love you too, dahling," Lisa replied, wiping a few tears that spilled over her eyes. Everybody else ahhed sentimentally.

"And last but not least, I would like to raise my glass to my new son. Although I never liked to admit it, I was always particularly found of him. His naivety, good heart, and quick wit always warmed my heart, and no matter how I tried to fight it, I couldn't help but feel that he already belonged to my family. Now, it is official, and I couldn't be more proud of him or grateful to him for saving the person I love most in the world. Thank you very much…son."

As if to preserve the touching moment, the party-goers stayed silent for a few seconds more. Finally, Oliver broke the silence.

"Cheers," he said as he raised his glass, his voice full of emotion.

"Cheers," the crowd repeated. Then, in perfect unison, everyone took a sip of their drinks, knowing well that from that night on, all were more united than ever.

After the beautiful affections exchanged, no one felt much like partying anymore. About fifteen minutes later, everyone had cleared out and left Oliver, Lisa and Eb on the farm alone. Not feeling up to cleaning up the barn just yet, the three settled for watching a movie on the television together in the bedroom.

An hour later, at the conclusion of the movie, Lisa sighed.

"Oh Olivah, don't you just love happy endings," Lisa asked him, referring to the movie on the television. But as Oliver turned at looked at his new family, he couldn't help but smile and take it as something more.

"Indeed I do, Lisa," he replied as he put her arms around her and patted Eb on the back. "Indeed I do."

THE END

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Well, that's it! Another story down! I hope you liked it! And don't worry! You definitely haven't heard the last of me! I have plenty of more ideas to choose from and I will be back as soon as I pick one! In the mean time, you can read my ideas to get an idea as to what I'm going to write about! Until then, adios! 


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